


Snakebite

by SumiSprite



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Cavity - Freeform, Equals Snakebite pairing, F/M, Het Pairing, Naga, Naga!Pitch, Naga!Pitch/Tooth, Sumi is a stupid lil squiddy., Sumi is doing HET now, what is this sorcery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-16
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2018-01-12 18:16:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 143,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1194789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SumiSprite/pseuds/SumiSprite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fill for the RotG KINKmeme.<br/>Every year on the hottest days of the year, Pitch shifts his form into that reminiscent of a Naga. But his secret is soon dragged out intot he light by a certain Tooth Fairy, and things all converge from there.<br/>No, Tooth is NOT attracted to Pitch. No way, no how. It's just his scales she likes - they're so smooth and shiny, like new teeth. nope, no attraction whatsoever...right?<br/>She can only hope nothing terrible gets in their way further down the line. She only has one summer to make her intentions known.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Link to the prompt!  
> http://rotg-kink.dreamwidth.org/2200.html?thread=3664536#cmt3664536
> 
> A fill that has been up on my FF.net page, but decided to move here as well. Please enjoy!

Pitch hated heat…

Actually, scratch that. Pitch didn’t hate the heat, he hated the season that brought the damn heat!

Summer was, without a doubt, his most despised season of the year. Granted he found reasons to dislike all four seasons, but summer was at the top of the list for two reasons. One was the complete plummet in fear. Sure there were places where people feared heat stroke, brush fires, being separated from mommy and daddy at the theme park, et cetera. Sure it was fear, but compared to other things, it was barely enough to feed a rat shaped Nightmare. He could handle that though, no problem, conditions change. It was the second reason he hated summer with a passion that was putting him in a sour mood.

Case in point, this god damn heat!

 _‘What is this, a heat wave?’_ he thought, slumping back onto the black couch dominating his personal library.

Normally Pitch was rather adaptive around harsh temperatures, both cold and hot. But it seemed Pitch’s body was more built at resistance to the cold, if his last visit to Antarctica was anything to go by. His caverns were almost always cool and damp, just how he liked it. But once summer rolled around, the moisture of his lair would start to evaporate, and the heat from the surface would seep into the ground and into his lair. Thus transforming his once comfortably chilly caverns into an endlessly humid sauna. It was _disgusting…_

His wardrobe probably didn’t help much either. His robes may be lightweight, but it seems the color was a very nice heat absorbent. Joy…

Pitch sighed and wiped the sweat collecting on his forehead, his golden gaze locked onto some unknown point of the ceiling. A sudden thought occurred to him, all of which seemed to send a tingle of – dare he say it – giddiness through his body. Well, he supposed he shouldn’t complain too much. He supposed he just enjoyed his personal pity-parties.

A grin spread over his ashen face.

Alright, so maybe he didn’t hate summer as much as he says he does. It was during this time of the year (not counting some parts of spring) that he got to indulge in one of his more…unique abilities.

 _‘Well, no need to prolong the inevitable.’_ he thought with a smirk.

Sitting up, he took a moment to survey his surroundings, as if trying to see if anyone else was around. His ears perked slightly as he tuned into any noises around him; silence. Perfect.

Lying back down onto the couch, Pitch shut his eyes and sighed. Mentally reaching into his core, he ‘gripped’ a small chunk of his magic and guided it into his center. Once he felt the familiar sensation of what he could describe as a warm ball of buzzing energy collect in his upper abdomen, he pressed his slender legs together and forced the ball of energy _down._

It was slow at first; it always started out slow, but it eventually picked up in speed as the sensation traveled down past his belly and down into his pelvis. It was a strange sensation, granted, and at first alarming when he first started getting into his little guilty-pleasure, but it was thankfully brief.

He felt the hem of his robes seem to come alive and wrap tightly around his legs, immobilizing him. But he did not move; instead, he focused his concentration back on the ball of energy and let his mental grip on it release. It ‘dropped’ into the bowl of his pelvis, causing an electrical sensation, like two atoms crashing into each other, to travel down into his suddenly numb legs.

A shudder raced up and down his suddenly tingling spine like a Jacob’s Ladder. The energy pressed down harder before it seemed to burst and spread like scalding hot water down, down his legs and into his toes. Pitch immediately felt the very familiar sensation of muscles in his back and legs quivering not unpleasantly, like he was stretching from a fitful nap. Pitch would never admit it, but the transformation itself was a rather sensational experience, and not at all unpleasant if he was honest with himself. Which he rarely was.

A shaky sigh left black lips as the stretching sensation seemed to elongate and continue out past the length of his body. It felt as if he was feeling sensations outside his body, and it was slowly becoming more and more noticeable. And all of it was felt below his waist.

First it was the velvety brush of the arm of the couch. Then came the sensation of sliding along the cool stone floor. Pitch paid no mind to the few sensations of what he could compare as to stubbing his toe on the few pieces of furniture in the room. The pain wasn’t nearly as sharp. If anything it was like feeling a fly going on a head on collision for him while he was in full body armor.

Completely ignoring the sounds of small tables overturning, books flopping to the ground, and the occasional chair tipping over, Pitch became oblivious to the world as he floated in his transformation induced trance.

What felt like hours passed, but it had only been less than a few minutes. And once he felt the pressure of the ball of shrinking energy in his pelvis vanish, it was over…

And instant relief washed over Pitch as the once unbearably prominent heat all but vanished from the atmosphere. He suddenly felt like he was in a very comfortably warm and humid island the humans were so fond of vacationing to.

Pitch opened his eyes back up, vaguely noting how some of the remnants of the magic once pressing into his pelvis moved up into his chest and throat. Licking his lips (and completely unalarmed by the sudden elongation of the now forked muscle) Pitch pushed himself up to rest on his elbows and look down at his new form.

If there was one thing Pitch could appreciate, it would be the art of perfection. And really, he saw nothing but perfection in his new form.

Silky black scales completely enveloped what was once a pair of gaunt legs, accented by gem-like shards of blue and purple scales trailing along his flank. His serpentine tail was at least twelve feet long, give or take half the width of the room. But it didn’t matter too much if the new body was too long or too short; a simple mental command and Pitch could make his tail as long or as short as he wanted.

Chuckling deviously to himself, Pitch set to work reacquainting himself to his new form. It was shaky and a bit awkward at first; he only ever took this form for a few months once or twice a year. But after a couple laps slinking around his library, he felt he got the motions back down and adjusted to the new muscles rippling through his tail. Once assured his form was stable, he slithered out of his library and to his bedchambers. Before he could indulge himself in his new form, he had to check and see if all was in order and he didn’t suddenly sprout any abnormalities. He shuddered at the thought. The first time he had tried this new form, he had somehow ended up with feathers instead of scales. The second time around he got the scales right, but somehow sprouted gills and fins. He could now to this day say to someone with a straight face that he nearly drowned without being anywhere near water…

The Nightmare King slunk over to the wall length mirror next to his wardrobe. Turning this way and that, and putting many self-conscious models to shame with his nit-picking, Pitch smirked at the lack of flaws on his form. But he frowned slightly at one tiny problem, nearly pouting at his reflection. That would never do. The shapeless thing may show off his chest nicely, but it only seemed to distort his lovely obsidian scales!

“Hmph…” huffing, Pitch shed his robe and tossed it carelessly onto the floor, “Much better.”

Pitch would, without a doubt, be the first to admit he was a vain bastard. And he had no qualms about this. He knew he was good looking in his own way, and he was quite comfortable with his body, if that wasn’t all too obvious; but come on, with collarbones and a neck like his, who was he to hide them from the world? Sure he was on the thin side, but his body was toned and firm. Though he did at times wish some of his bones weren’t so prominent, particularly in the hips and ribs, but he didn’t complain. 

His original form was one thing, but this, his Naga form he liked to call it, was a true work of art.

The King of Fear posed shamelessly in his mirror, taking on various poses, all none too suggestive. Pitch took pride in his serpentine form for various reasons; one such reason was actually a direct link to his work. Ophidiophobia was a very common fear among humans, and there were so many superstitions circling around snakes themselves that prompted humans into fearing them. Pitch considered it one of his smaller weaknesses; he always held a soft spot for creepy crawly things. Though he would never fully understand how humans could hate things like snakes or other such creatures. Serpents were such lovely creatures, not to mention vital to most ecosystems. Without them, fear of spiders and snakes would be replaced with fears of mice and rats. Not a very glamorous fear all things considered…

Well, no use dwelling on the ifs and ands. Pitch had a full season of self-pampering to get to work on. Not to mention how much delicious fear he can get out of the skittish mortals in his current form.

Eh, maybe he didn’t hate summer as much as he thought. If anything, maybe it was just as much a vacation season as it was to the humans…

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

Toothiana was known to be many things to those who knew her.

She was brave, bold, kind, dedicated to her work, gentle, yet firm, and an overall good person. She was also very bubbly, chipper, talkative, and so full of seemingly endless energy. A few people found this part of her somewhat annoying, if not overwhelming. But most found it quite charming.

But despite all of the crashing and swirling energy inside her, she was very well organized and very professional in her work.

Which is why she was currently throwing a mental hissy fit over a teeny, tiny problem she just now seemed to notice…

 _‘How can I be missing a tooth!?’_ she screamed mentally to herself.

The colorful fairy sat in her personal quarters in her plush nest of silk blankets and cushions. In her hands she held a gold and jewel gilded box, all of which was open. To some, this wasn’t an uncommon occurrence. Tooth loved personally going back and handling teeth whenever she was feeling stressed or down. North once commented that it was like the equivalent to those stress balls humans used whenever they were feeling haggard at the office.

But for once, this wasn’t a way to relieve stress or anxiety. Rather, the box was what was causing the stress.

Or rather, it was the empty slot where a Lateral Incisor should be. Use to be.

Honestly, Tooth wanted to laugh at this. Toothiana, the _Tooth Fairy,_ has _lost a tooth!_ It was _laughable!_

 _‘So why am I not laughing?’_ she thought miserably.

Sighing, she closed the golden cylinder, her wings twitching before coming to rest limply against her back. This was a mess, she thought. To anyone else, it would have been no big deal; it was just one tooth. But to her, it was more precious than any gem, not just to her, but to the child it once belonged to. Every tooth held precious memories. Losing just one tooth was like losing a large chunk of one’s past. It was an incomplete set, a puzzle missing one precious piece.

Toothiana had never lost a tooth before. At least not like this; there were the few occasions where her fairies might run into trouble – maybe a cat or some other predator animal – and would either have to run without their cargo, or come back for it later. Tooth never blamed them for such actions. Cats were especially nasty to them, but even still, they always got their job done and completed their tasks.

But this, this was a first. Tooth never lost something so precious so suddenly. Not since Pitch tried to-

Amethyst eyes widened. Her dainty hands slackened suddenly, causing the gold box to drop down into her lap as horrible realization dawned on her.

The tooth had been left in Pitch’s lair…

X~X~X~X~X~X

Contrary to what most might think, Pitch was very adamant at keeping himself clean and well groomed.

Many wouldn’t assume so; his teeth were a pretty prominent hint to others that he didn’t much care of personal hygiene. But this was not the case.

Actually, his teeth were actually quite normal. He just liked to use his natural ability of illusion to give him a more subtly unnerving appearance. After all, who would be frightened of someone with a perfectly kept appearance? It was practically a requirement for him to appear as grotesque as possible; or at least as much as his vanity would allow.

Though right now he didn’t worry too much about that. Now, he was going to enjoy his preening and laze about.

“Ah, lower…” he sighed.

Currently the Nightmare King was, quite literally, sprawled out on his back over the majority of the globe room. His torso was actually draped over the hollow globe itself, while the rest of his serpentine form loosely coiled around its base and spread out around the plateau.

And just along the center of his tail was a small battalion of small Fearlings, all armed with soft rags and flasks of clear, oily liquid. All of which was being firmly rubbed into the obsidian scales until they gleamed with a crystalline shine, while another one hovered just above his head with a bowl of various fruits.

Pitch practically purred from the attention. Even after a rather tedious defeat not too long ago, he was entitled to a bit of self-spoiling. It was better than moping around in self-pity. Plus the Fearlings made excellent servants and scale-polishers. It made the polishing go faster too, and no sore hands.

But best of all was the peace and quiet. No harassing Nightmares, no annoying mini-fairies, and best of all, no upstart Guardians.

 _‘Now if only I had someone to hold a decent conversation with…’_ he thought with a sigh.

Pitch would be lying if he said he wasn’t lonely. He’s spent billions of years isolated, not counting the Nightmare Men and Fearlings. But they didn’t much count to begin with. They were all practically illiterate unless they were whispering promises of fear and doubt. Plus, neither made great opponents in chess; they were more keen on _eating_ the pieces than doing anything else with them. Pitch never did get that Rook back…

 _‘Then again, who in their right mind would want to be around someone who takes such a form?’_ he thought.

With a huff, he let his mouth open, his forked tongue stretching over his chin as the Fearling over his head lowered some grapes into his fanged maw.

Oh well. Who needed companionship when he could spend a whole summer being waited on hand and tail?

Pitch’s relaxed state was cut short by a deep snort. Cracking an eye open, he frowned over at the Nigthmare gazing up at him expectantly, its willowy mane waving in a nonexistent breeze.

A bit upset for having his relaxation time interrupted, Pitch dismissed his Fearlings and flopped over onto his stomach, resting his chin on his folded arms.

“What is it?” he hissed, a very slight lisp added to the ‘S’ of his words.

The Nigthmare snorted and shook its head, nickering to Pitch and clopping a hoof. Pitch’s frown deepened as the mental communication between him and his Nightmare became a bit frantic. It was if the sandy horse was frantic in its ‘speech’.

“Slow down…” he crooned, reaching out to pet the Nigthmare’s neck, “Easy girl, tell me what’s wrong.”

While the Nightmare regained its bearings, Pitch was mentally marking off what could possibly be wrong. There couldn’t be an intruder in his lair, he would have sensed it. The Fearlings weren’t causing any trouble, and the Nightmares weren’t becoming restless and turning on one another. As far as Pitch could tell, everything was perfectly in order.

“What is it?” he tried again, patience wearing thin.

Huffing with a grunt, the Nightmare turned tail and trotted down a tunnel. Pitch watched after it for a few moments before it came back. Its jaw was set oddly, like it had something in its mouth. And it seemed much more restless than it was before.

“What’s the matter little mare?” he smirked, “Got a tooth ache?”

The Nightmare gave the impression of being insulted before craning its neck and nodding its head frantically, but not in a sense of confirmation. It instead nudged Pitch’s arm firmly before shaking its head again. Pitch cocked his head curiously before hesitantly holding his hand out to the Nightmare. The Nightmare snorted and opened its mouth, depositing something into Pitch’s ashen hand.

Now thoroughly intrigued, Pitch brought his hand up to his face to examine what his Nightmare had brought him. He at first thought it was a pebble, but upon further inspection, he found it was not something as simple as a pebble. It was white, smooth, and had a slight shine to it. Nothing came to mind at first, but a beat later, the answer hit him like a truck.

It was a tooth.

A baby tooth to be precise. But what in the world was it doing in his lair? His Fearlings weren’t suddenly taking an interest in them were they?

“Moon, I hope not…” Pitch muttered, turning the tooth over in his hand.

It certainly wasn’t his, it was too small. And his Fearlings and Nightmares didn’t even have teeth. The only explanation he could come up with was that it somehow got left behind when Toothiana retrieved the tooth boxes.

“How unfortunate…” Pitch purred, rolling the tooth around in his palm. He contemplated on what he should do with it.

Taking it back to her was out of the question. He didn’t feel like having any of his lovely fangs knocked out, thank you. Though it was tempting; he could only imagine her and her mini fairy’s reactions to his serpentine form. It would have been delicious.

But he digressed. There wasn’t anything he could do with it, and he wasn’t about to return it of his own free will. Though he had to wonder what the chances were of Toothiana or one of her mini fairies coming down to retrieve it.

Frowning at the ivory item in his palm and tongue flicking, Pitch held it out to his Nightmare.

“Place it close to the entrance,” he said, “Make sure it will be easy to spot should someone come down.”

Snorting, the Nightmare obeyed the order and, though hesitantly, took the calcium enamel between its lips and trotted off for the main entrance to Pitch’s lair.

Nodding to himself, Pitch flopped back over onto his back, his torso bent in a gentle arch over the round shape of the globe. Better safe than sorry, he thought. If someone did come looking for that tooth, they would find it and get it back before they could venture too far into his home. And even if someone did come down…well, he can only conclude Tooth’s fairies feared snakes as much as cats…

Pitch averted his gaze to the Fearlings floating in the corner and bore his fangs.

“What are you lot standing around for? Get back to work!” he snapped.

The Fearlings squeaked in surprise before they bolted back over to Pitch, armed with their rags and flasks, and got back to polishing his scales to a gossamer shine. Pitch sighed deeply as his tense muscles unwound. A peeled orange wedge was held out for him, and Pitch couldn’t help but grimace.

He had to wonder just what the other Guardians would think if they saw him like this, and enjoying it. As if they didn’t think was disgustingly revolting enough, the last thing he needed was for them to openly mock him about his method of surviving a damn heat wave. Pitch loathed uninvited guests. Maybe he should have that tooth returned…

 _After_ he was done with his scale polishing.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Toothiana stared down at the hole in the ground leading to a certain Nightmare King’s lair, her hands tightening on the hilts of her twin swords.

Hesitation was obviously visible on her face, but also a very vague sense of uncertainty. Beside her, Baby Tooth fidgeted with nervous chips, her crest feathers twitching with her nerves. The two avian fairies had been hovering near the reopened hole for the better part of ten minutes, all of which was spent trying to sort the uncertainty out of their minds. Their nerves were tingling, giving the sensation of bugs crawling under one’s skin. It was not at all a comforting sensation, nor was it helping in Toothiana’s dilemma. 

The iridescent fairy let out a calming breath, “Okay, I just need to get in, and get out. Who knows? He might not even be down there anymore…”

Baby Tooth gave her a slightly scrutinizing look with a raised brow, almost giving the impression of an unimpressed teenager. Normally Tooth would reprimand such attitude, but even she knew her words were more a means of self-comfort, if not full denial. 

Because as much as Tooth wouldn’t admit it, Pitch frightened her. Sure, she had a few moments of courage where she was able to get up in his face – and knock a tooth out of his mouth – but moments like those only happened when her emotions were on high, or if he was threatening someone.

The fairy winced slightly at the memory of a certain right hook she swung at the Boogeyman. Despite the fact he deserved it, Tooth wasn’t exactly one who took pleasure out of harming someone who was essentially powerless. Case in point, during Pitch’s defeat and when she knocked that tooth out. She didn’t exactly regret it, but she wasn’t _proud_ of her actions then…

Tooth sighed, smoothing her crest down. Now was not the time to be stalling; she had to get that tooth back! And she wasn’t going to get it by floating around reminiscing! If anything, she had to hurry; she couldn’t leave her fairies unattended for much longer. She had to act _now_.

“Baby Tooth,” she started, catching her helper’s attention, “I want you to stay up here alright? If I’m not back in ten minutes, fifteen tops, I want you to get the others, alright?”

Baby Tooth frowned, chirping a protest to her queen. Tooth smiled and shook her head, cupping her hands under the mini fairy.

“I know you want to help, but if we’re both captured or worse, the others won’t be able to help,” she said, “I need you to be brave and wait for me.”

A dainty finger stroked the mini fairy’s yellow crest. Any protests Baby Tooth was about to voice instantly died down at the gentle touch and encouraging smile. Despite how stubborn Baby Tooth was, Toothiana was just as, if not more, stubborn.

Giving a high pitched sigh, Baby Tooth begrudgingly nodded, but chirped firmly at her queen with various hand gestures. Toothiana laughed lightly.

“Alright, alright, I promise!” She laughed, petting her feisty helper’s head, “Now just wait here for me okay? And when I come back, I’ll treat you to some nectar juice.”

More chirping.

“Yes, you can get extra sugar in it, but only a little!” Tooth said firmly.

Clapping her tiny hands in delight, Baby Tooth fluttered over to a low-hanging branch. She gave a salute to her queen before settling at her ‘post’. Tooth chuckled at her feisty helper before turning back to the hole leading down into the proverbial dragon’s den. A shudder ran up her spine, causing her wings to twitch unsteadily.

She took in a deep breath, as if she was about to submerge into a body of water, and dove down into the dark tunnel.

The tunnel was narrow and black as ink. Not a single speck of light penetrated the black stained atmosphere. Tooth was starting to wonder if there even was a bottom to the tunnel, or if Pitch’s lair was still even there. The thought made her inwardly cringe. If the lair was in fact gone, so was the tooth she desperately wanted to retrieve. Yet another part of her was also a bit…concerned?

Tooth blinked but didn’t stop in her trek. Why would she be concerned? And for who? Pitch?

The fairy had the unsightly urge to slap herself. What was this? Why was she suddenly concerned for the spirit who came so very close to wiping her, and her fellow Guardians, out of existence? The very same man who kidnapped her fairies and stole the teeth. It was _baffling._

Just as the iridescent fairy was about to hightail it back to the surface to have her mental health checked, a faint, washed out glow caught her eye.

Fluttering hesitantly closer, Tooth was able to make out the wall that formed a right turn into what she hoped was Pitch’s lair. 

She pressed close to the wall and hovered over to the corner, one hand on the hilt of her sabre as she peeked around the corner.

She stared into what looked like a large foyer, various wrought iron cages hanging from the seemingly endless ceiling. The cavern itself was surprisingly warm and humid. Though after looking over a ledge into the abyss, Tooth could see why. Everything below the first level was completely submerged in crystalline black water in various pools and lakes, not unlike her own various water springs below her palace. Though her springs looked more appealing and – was that a tentacle she just saw!?

 _‘Dear Moon, what am I doing?’_ she thought, her whole body shuddering.

Tooth shook her head, her feathers ruffling in frustration. Now was not the time to be getting cold feet. She was in the lair of _The King of Fear_ for MiM’s sake, she didn’t need to have her presence announced like mariachi band because the creep of a resident would sniff out her fear like a bloodhound. 

Once again taking in a deep, head-clearing breath, and relaxed. She made a mental note to thank Sandy for those meditation lessons. They didn’t seem to work on her ‘chattiness’, but they seemed to work on quelling her nerves. Who knew?

“Okay…just take a quick look around, find the tooth, grab it, and get out,” she said, “Easy. Easy, easy, easy…”

Or so she kept telling herself.

Under most other circumstances, Tooth could easily find a lost tooth in no time flat. But only _if_ the tooth was not already exchanged by either her or one of her fairies. As a collector of teeth, she had a natural ability to know when one was lost and under a child’s pillow waiting to be picked up. Those teeth practically lit up like beacons to her. But once a tooth was exchanged under her watch, the beacon went out, and she would not be able to track it anymore. She could sense the memories stored in them and use that, but it was not as efficient as when the tooth itself was freshly lost and left under a pillow.

And as if that wasn’t bad enough, she couldn’t sense the tooth down there. It was like the aura she would follow was being…suppressed. Like the stone walls were alive and devouring her light and power. Was this what her fairies felt when pitch trapped them down here? It was awful! 

Tooth spent the next ten minutes searching fruitlessly for the lost tooth. Any and all pity she once felt for Pitch had dropped off the face of the planet at the fifteen minute mark.

And by the twenty minute mark, Tooth found herself digging through some rubble near the entrance of the lair. And by this point, it seemed she was more likely to find a few diamonds than a calcium enamel. 

Twenty five minute mark, and Tooth wanted to rip her feathers out. 

This was _ridiculous._ It should not be this hard to find a bloody damn tooth! She was the Moon damned _Tooth Fairy_ for crying out loud! She specialized in lost teeth…

“Whoever it was that I pissed off, I’m sorry! I really am! So can you please just lift this curse off of me and let me find that tooth? Pretty please?” she begged to no one in particular.

…she was talking to thin air. In Pitch’s lair. Alone.

 _‘No wonder he went mad…’_ she thought, _‘This place does things to your head.’_

_Crick!_

Body jolting and feathers fluffing, Tooth swung around with his sabers out and ready to attack-

…a rat?

“Oh…” she sighed in disappointment, trying to calm her frantic heartbeat. 

The rat twitched its gnarled, hairy nose at her as she settled on a rock, completely fed up with the whole situation. The rat cocked its matted furry head at her. The fairy sighed.

“You know, at any other time, I would maybe be off exploring this place, and maybe trying to see if Pitch was around…” she started, “Who knows? Maybe he’s learnt his lesson this time! But I already know that’s probably never going to happen. The guy has an ego the size of a Megaladon tooth, and don’t even get me started on how stubborn he is…”

A bald grey-pink tail twitched as beady black eyes stared at her. Another sigh and Tooth put her chin in one hand.

“Maybe I need a break. Heaven knows the others are constantly on my tail about it, especially Sandy, the little hypocrite…” he laughed ruefully, looking at the rat, “But it’s sweet at least, maybe I should just-”

A pause.

Amethyst eyes stared at the rat, more specifically, at its buck teeth. Or what she had thought was its buck teeth.

But it couldn’t have been its own teeth. It was too white, and it was too small. It wasn’t even two narrow, overly grown teeth, but a single, smooth, _baby tooth._

Tooth’s once exhausted senses were now back on high alert. She could feel a faint, yet prominent, aura emitting from the enamel. Which immediately confirmed her suspicions. _That_ was the lost tooth she had come to retrieve.

“Um…” she started, putting on a nervously sweet smile as she knelt down to the rat, “Excuse me little guy, but could I possibly have that tooth in your mouth?”

A blink of beady eyes and a twitching of whiskers. The rat didn’t seem to understand a word she was saying. But still, the fairy kept prattling on.

“See, that tooth was lost a long time ago – it’s actually the reason I’m even down here to begin with,” she said, “And I maybe, kind of, sort of, really need it back.”

The rat seemed to cock a brow at her, as if to say ‘oh really?’ to her. Tooth scooted closer to it, and the rat backed up, its fur starting to bristle suspiciously. Laughing nervously, Tooth held up her hands.

“N-no, no! None of that! I’m the Tooth Fairy you see, and it’s kind of a job requirement that I retrieve all lost teeth that have already been exchanged, understand? Oh! Maybe you’ve met some of my workers from the European division? I’m sure they’ve mentioned me at least once!”

The rat seemed to frown deeply, its nose twitching suspiciously at the iridescent woman.

“So yeah, I kind of need that tooth back so I can have it put back in its proper place to give its former owner a complete set of memories,” the fairy concluded cheerfully, “So, what do you say?”

Silence. An awkward pause. Staring…

…

The rat bolted.

“Hey! Wait a minute you-!” and Tooth was off and flying like the lovechild of a bullet trail and a sniper rifle.

The rat managed to avoid her grasping hands and eluded her through various crevasses, cracks, and rocks. It squeaked loudly in protest whenever her dainty fingers managed to graze its fur or tail, but were unable to seize it. 

“Hey wait! I said get back here!” Tooth shouted as the dirty creature led her through tunnels and various corridors. 

Up, down, left, right, it was like a chaotic rollercoaster spawned from the worst thriller junkie’s mind. And still the rat persisted in keeping the tooth in its jaws and elude the increasingly frustrated fairy in a game of cat and mouse. Deeper and deeper into the lair the two ventured, and when it was becoming apparent she was about to lose all sources of light, Tooth snapped.

“Get your skinny tail back here or so help me, I will yank out those buck teeth of yours with a rusty-!”

She never saw the stalagmite coming.

At least, not until it connected to her forehead and sent her careening onto the ground. Painfully.

The fairy crashed in an indignant heap on the hard stone floor with a resounding ‘thud’. The rat vanished down a hallway ahead of her, but not after throwing – Tooth to this day would swear was a smug look – one last glance over its hairy shoulder and skittering away. 

Tooth did not move from her face-down position on the harsh stone floor. In fact, she so far had no plans to move whatsoever. 

_‘That’s it. I give up. I fucking give up…’_ she thought, glaring holes into the floor.

No, she was just going to lie there until the end of the world, and rot. Her life was now over as far as she was concerned. This was the end of The Tooth Fairy. She lost one of the teeth and was not going to show up back to her palace for all her workers to see how much of a failure she was. The stupidity ends now. She was _done._

Now if only that music would stop, she could close her eyes and fade away in peace…

…wait…

 _‘Music…?’_ completely forgetting her self-implored angst, Tooth lifted her head up and looked around the cavern she now lay in.

It just now seemed to occur to her that the caverns she was in now were much less deteriorated than the area she came from. The walls were a smooth, almost black granite. Various wrought iron odds and ends were spread throughout the round cavern – a few old world Victorian lanterns here, a couple dark wood end tables there. There were even flowers in dark glass vases on the mentioned tables! And that music…

 _‘Is that Arabian…?’_ she thought with a creased brow. 

Minding the bruises and cuts – and the splitting headache in her forehead from her rather uncalled for collision – Tooth carefully pushed herself up onto her knees. She brushed off some of the broken and damaged feathers on her body before shakily getting to her feet. Around her were at least three hallways that stemmed out from the round room she found herself in. She came from the hallway behind her – the single stalagmite was a good indicator for this – and the music seemed to be coming from her left down the center corridor. 

The same corridor that insufferable rat ran down. But why was there music to begin with? Pitch never struck her as one to really enjoy…well…anything; aside from terrorizing people.

She shook her head, _‘Not the time, I need to get out of here! Or better yet, find that damn rat, take back that tooth, and yank its buck teeth out while I’m at it.’_

A strange shifting sound suddenly caught her attention, causing her to jump slightly and her crest feathers to shift. Her grip of her sabers tightened as she brought them out in both hands. The strange sound seemed to flow in time with the music after every few beats. It sounded like burlap sack of potatoes was being dragged slowly against the granite floor…

Shaking her head, Tooth put her sabers away and hovered off of the floor. She flitted over to door she came from, fully intending to leave. But just as she was about to vanish down the hallway, she stopped.

 _‘The tooth…I need to get that tooth back…’_ she thought.

Tooth roughly bit her lip as her conflicted thoughts and feelings clashed in her head. On one hand, she knew she had to get that tooth back. It was her job to keep the children’s teeth safe. But on the other hand, she did not want to find out, nor did she want to deal with, whatever was down that hall. And she _certainly_ didn’t want to get into another game of chase with a Moon damned _rat._

She groaned to herself, her feet planted down onto the floor. Maybe the others’ assumptions of her being ‘too committed’ to her job weren’t as farfetched as she originally thought.

Sighing, she rubbed her temples and clasped her hands together, “Okay, Tooth, all you need to do is just go down the hall, find the rat – and therefore the tooth – take it back, and if you happen to see Pitch in there as well…just knock one of his teeth out and go home with a _half_ clean conscience.”

Yes…yes, that could work. And hey, who knows? Maybe he’s finally started flossing. The Mini Fairies wouldn’t know the difference if she brought back a child’s baby tooth or a Nightmare King’s fang!

It was fine, everything was going to be just _fine._

Throwing all other rebellious thoughts out the window, Tooth drew up her sabers again and stared down the suddenly long corridor. She took in a deep breath, squashed any leftover resolve, and pushed herself down into the proverbial lion’s den…

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

Toothiana’s hands clenched and unclenched uneasily around her sabers. Her nerves were on high, and quite frankly, she was starting to scrutinize her original idea in going at this alone. The old saying, ‘if I knew then, what I knew now’ came to her mind at the moment. If she knew she was going to be having so much trouble with this, and suddenly find that Pitch was maybe down these halls, she would have at least asked one of the other Guardians to accompany her. Tooth knew they wouldn’t have said no. But her own damned pride had prevented her from getting proper help.

Her only safe point was the Mini Fairy no doubt still waiting for her on the surface. Tooth didn’t have a way to tell time at the moment, but she knew she was running out of it, and fast. She had to act fast and swift if she wanted to get out and not have Baby Tooth bring in the cavalry.

Tooth licked her suddenly dry lips as the music grew louder with each step she took. She had long since abandoned her tactic to flying in; her buzzing wings might attract the room occupant’s attention. And the last thing she needed was to make herself known. _Especially_ if it was Pitch in there…

The hallway curved into a left turn up ahead, and the music was now at its peak volume. The strange shuffling was now much more apparent, but she still could not name what could be causing it. It was quite disconcerting, but Tooth wasn’t about to be put off by an odd noise. 

The sound and music now at its full peak, Tooth pressed her back up against the wall that led to the corner turning into the room. She took in a few deep breaths and sighed.

 _‘Stay calm, Tooth. If he smells your fear, you’re done for.’_ she reminded herself.

Breathing in one last time deeply through her nose, Tooth gripped her rapiers and swiftly flew into the doorway.

A sudden electrical jolt of shock that shot through her chest was enough to paralyze her at the sight.

The phonograph in the corner of the room became the apparent source of the Arabian music, the sound of various string instruments bouncing off of the mirror-like walls that made up the circular room’s walls. The room was shaped like an octagon, each side made up of mirror-like obsidian. The center of the ceiling was dominated by a gothic chandelier, the candles alight with softly glowing flames that cast flickering shadows along the walls.

And in the center of the room…

A heated throb pulsed through the fairy queen’s body at the sight.

The scaled tail writhed and rolled like obsidian ocean waves, rolling and twisting in a hypnotic imitation of living ivy vines. The scales leading up to the swaying hips and waist tapered up a lean back in a sharp arrow ending between prominent shoulder blades. Long, slender arms were held up above a head of spiked black hair, the long limbs sliding gracefully down scaled hips. The bare torso swayed and undulated like ripples in disturbed water, each movement beating to a steady rhythm to the music. 

The center of the serpentine tail rolled and flipped, causing the spirit to turn just slightly enough for Tooth to see his face.

The fairy felt a sudden burst of heat shoot straight into her belly and face. Pitch was…that was _Pitch!?_

 _‘How…?’_ Tooth continued to gape, unable to move from her spot.

His eyes were shut, a look of pleasure and serenity upon his features – explaining why he had yet to see her even when he spun around. Pitch twirled around with a single swirling roll of his tail, his torso – holy molars, just where did Pitch get _that_ figure? – arching into a full arch until his head was virtually upside down, arms stretched over his head. His lower back lurched, causing his torso to undulate again back into an upright position before; his body resumed swaying amorously to the music. 

Tooth’s heart was pounding against her breast, feathers fluffing from the sudden heart pulsing through her body with each beat of the frantic muscle. She wasn’t so sure just what she was seeing; all she knew was…she _liked_ it.

Her hands were sweating, and her grip on her sabers was-

_Clank!_

Everything _stopped._

Pitch’s body seemed to turn to stone, his snake tail frozen in a half coil and his back in mid-arch. Tooth felt like a deer caught in headlights, but the proverbial car just so happened to have a serpentine tail and commanded the shadows.

Slowly, Pitch’s eclipsed eyes slid open, facing the back wall. Arms still over his head, his catlike eyes swiveled back and forth, trying to pinpoint where the sound of metal-on-stone sound came from. A frown creased his brow as his eyes locked back onto the reflective wall before him. His eyes narrowed slightly, perplexed. He could vaguely see something reflected in the stone just behind his own image. All he could make out was a blur of bright green and spots of yellow. It looked somewhat familiar. And then the thing _moved…_

A shock of rage shot from his head and down to the tip of his tail, unable to stop himself from whirling around at a breakneck pace to lock eye with his intruder.

“YOU!” he shrieked, fangs bared.

Tooth suddenly became aware of the Nightmare King lunging for her like the snake he represented. Yelping in shock, she barely managed to leap out of the way, causing Pitch to slam against the hallway’s back wall, the bulk of his tail crushing her dropped rapier. 

Pitch roared grotesquely as he recovered, giving her almost no chance to recover before he pursued her down the hallways. The fairy gasped and sped down the stony halls as fast as she could. But her wings weren’t cooperating with her fully, her pace suddenly only at a lower speed.

“TOOTHIANA!” a shudder raced up her spine, briefly obscuring her flight pattern, from the shrill shriek.

The once gentle shuffling of scales on stone suddenly became louder, now sounding more like multiple knives scraping down a chalkboard. 

Tooth’s heart raced a mile a second in her chest; she could almost swear it was trying to pound its way out of her ribs so it could make a break for the surface. Not the she could blame it. But everything around her was a blur, like she was on autopilot. And her brain simply wasn’t working with her body!

 _‘Central incisor, Moscow Russia. First molar – those scales… – Fort Worth Texas. Lower first molar, Beijing Chi – like black diamonds… – na. Upper cus – so pretty, like a first lost tooth… – pid…where…?’_ her brain was practically a lump of dead grey-matter now.

“GET BACK HERE!”

Tooth squeaked and mentally kicked herself back to reality. Shaking her head, she reclaimed control of her mind and wings and bolted down the halls. It didn’t matter if she was going the right way or not, all that mattered was that she _got out._

 _‘There!’_ miraculously, Tooth found herself in a familiar foyer.

Zipping past the globe and dodging various cages and stalactites, Tooth dove for the main exit.

“RAUGH!”

Pitch suddenly jumped out of a shadow in front of her, scales bristling like bladed spikes, and fangs bored in a vicious display of aggressive anger. His hand shot out and grabbed her wrists in a tight grip. Yelping, Tooth raised her free hand – the one with her remaining rapier – up and slammed the hand down on the side of his face.

Hissing, Pitch released Tooth and instinctively reached up to protect his face from another assault. Now distracted, Tooth shut her eyes and barrel rolled around him, her arm just barely grazing over a coil of scales as she passed by. 

A shudder ran up her spine, _‘So soft…’_

Wings scraping against rock and dirt, Tooth was unable to stop herself as she shot up, up, _up…_

“AH!” and straight up into a certain Guardian of Wonder’s face, toppling them both over.

Tooth groaned into the red coat her face was buried in. She lifted her head, trying to stop the spinning of her vision, and focus on the voices calling out to her.

“Tooth! Are ya alright-”

“What happened?”

“Baby Tooth came and-”

“Scared us half to death you-”

_‘What…? Those voices…they were…?’_ Tooth lifted her head, her vision clearing.

Around her – and under her in North’s case – were the other Guardians and Baby Tooth, all of whom was flitting around making frantic chirping noises to her queen. What were they all doing here…?

“Tooth! TOOTH!”

“What…!?” Feathers ruffling, Tooth shot up onto her feet, only to fall back on her rear from the sudden vertigo, “Ow…”

“Tooth! Are you alright?” North asked her, checking her over for any injuries.

Sandy formed a barrage of images over his head, his own expression as frantic as his gesturing. Tooth blinked a few times to clear her vision and rubbed her aching forehead.

“Guys, guys! I’m fine! I just…” she paused, unable to finish her sentence.

“Just what? Dove into the enemy’s lair without back up? All for a measly tooth?” Bunny scolded.

Baby Tooth abruptly shrieked and started screeching and pecking at the Pooka’s sensitive ears. Yelping, Bunny hopped around and pinned his ears back, trying to escape the merciless assault.

North, now calm, kneeled by Tooth and gazed at her in concern.

“Tooth, why did you go into Pitch’s lair alone?” he asked gently.

“Yeah, we would have helped you.” Jack said, ignoring Bunny’s pleas for help.

Sandy nodded and formed various question marks over his head.

Tooth, still somewhat dazed and her brain still catching up to her, only blinked slowly and fidgeted.

“Um…I uh…” she sighed and shook her head, suddenly exhausted. North sighed.

“Well, it does not matter now I suppose,” he said, standing up, “You are alright, and that is what matters.”

“But…the scales…” Tooth muttered.

“Scales?” Jack asked, confused.

“I-I mean tooth! The tooth! I-I have to go back for it and-”

“Later, Toothy,” North said firmly, “We will all come with you later to search for it, once you are rested. You look very flushed…”

Tooth touched a hand to her cheek and nearly jumped. Moon, why did her face feel so warm? It almost felt like she had a sunburn, minus any pain or irritation. 

“Now, I want you to come back with us to Workshop so I can make sure you are not hurt, yes?” North said.

“Um…” Tooth muttered dazedly, “Yeah…yeah, sure…”

X~X~X~X~X~X

Back down in the shadowy realm, Pitch shrieked incoherently into his caverns, rattling cages and causing rubble to flake off the near endless ceilings. The serpentine shade screamed obscenities and foul words that would make Aphrodite herself blush.

Fearlings and Nightmares stood huddling in shadows and behind rocks and furniture, eyes wide and terrified of their master’s wrath. They couldn’t recall ever seeing their master this angry; not since his defeat a while ago…

Giving one last bellowing scream to the ceiling, Pitch panted before abruptly flopping into the pile of pillows in his designated ‘lounge’ room. His breast heaved as he tried to regain his breath, his tail quivering with his resolve.

“Damn it…” he rasped, “Damn that fairy, damn the Guardians, damn this heat, damn _everything!_ ”

Ruined. Everything was _ruined!_ As if he wasn’t humiliated enough with his defeat, but now one of those insufferable Guardians knew of his second form. And knew he enjoyed it! She even saw him dancing for Moon’s sake! His reputation – what was left of it – was practically already dead now!

The low growl in his throat suddenly turned into a shrill snarl, his tail whipping before slamming down onto a coffee table, splitting it in half. A couple Fearlings hiding under it squeaked and fled to a new hiding place, but Pitch paid them no mind.

What could he do? How did that fairy even get down here? Why was she down here? He told his Nightmare to put that tooth some place obvious! And yet Toothiana had snuck deep enough into his lair to find him!

 _‘The idiotic horse…’_ he mentally snarled. He was completely fed up now…

“Chu…”

Tensing, Pitch looked over his sloping tail and down to the floor. He cringed slightly when he caught sight of a rat sniffing at one of his lovely scales, as if contemplating taking a bite out of him. 

Well two can play at that game.

The rat gave a shrill cry as his hand shot out and grabbed it around its body, his snake-like reflexes now sharpened from his form. 

“Well look what the cat dragged in…” he growled.

The rat hissed at him. Pitch paused when the action caused something to drop out of its mouth and onto his lap. Still holding the rat, he reached down and picked up the item and examined it.

A shock of absolute disbelief race dup his spine as he stared at the baby tooth in his hand.

Unbe-fricken-lievable. A _rat_ had gotten to the tooth before that blasted fairy did? _That’s_ why she was in his home? Because this disgusting rodent decided it would make a lovely addition to its likely vast collection of junk in whatever hole it lived in?

Pitch was far too consumed with disbelief to make an angrily sarcastic remark. He was done with this…

 _‘That’s it. No more!’_ Squeezing the poor rat, Pitch got up and slithered over to a small cage.

He tossed the rat – minus the tooth – into it and locked it up, clenching his first around the calcium enamel.

No more of this, he thought. No more taking this Naga form anymore; if that insufferable harpy was going to go crowing to the others about his means of surviving a damn heat wave, he was not going to give her the satisfaction of being right.

Breathing in, Pitch mentally recited the reversing spell. All at once, a tight sensation pushed into his belly, sat there for a moment, and then lifted up. He shuddered as a chill washed over his splitting tail, his legs once again taking shape. The reversing of the form was not nearly as pleasant as changing into it; rather it felt like he was slipping out of a grossly hot and damp sleeping bag.

Sighing shakily, Pitch surveyed his shaking legs – a side effect of reversing the spell, his limbs became unsteady and weak. His leggings almost felt too tight on his pulsing limbs, and the urge to turn back into a Naga was almost overwhelming. 

He groaned and flopped back into his pillows, the tooth clutched in his hand digging into his palm.

Damn, it was hot…

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

The few times Tooth’s fairies would come to her with injuries or small wounds – whether from an animal or some other means – she always fussed and worried over them like a mother hen. But for some reason, they never much liked being fussed over. Once their injuries were treated, they’d demand that their queen let them get back to work. Tooth always refused though; they needed rest and to take a while to let their wounds heal. She never did understand why they didn’t like the chance to settle down and rest, much less so the chance to be coddled a bit.

Now, however, she _completely_ understood.

 _‘To all my girls who I ever smothered like these guys are doing…I am SO sorry.’_ she thought. She made a mental note to make an actual apology to her fairies when – and if – the other Guardians let her leave and _stopped probing at her like a damn science experiment!_

“Guys, for the _last time_ …” she rasped, exasperated, “I am FINE!”

“Tooth, you got a bump the size of one of my eggs on your forehead,” Bunny said, examining said goose-egg, “That ain’t what we call ‘fine’.”

“Seriously, what happened?” Jack asked, “It wasn’t Pitch was it? I mean, I know he’s an ass and all, but he never struck me as the type to hit a girl like that…”

“Bah, Pitch is dirty fighter, would no surprise me.” North grunted.

Tooth sighed, wishing so much that she could just leave. One of the cons of being the only female in a mostly all-boys club was that she was treated like she was made of glass.* It’s sweet sometimes, even enduring. But other times – like now – Tooth felt a bit insulted. She knew it wasn’t their fault – if anything, it was a chivalrous instinct in them that she could admire. But honestly, it got old fast at times. It was stupid too; whenever one of them got hurt, the others would just offer a pat on the back and not fuss over each other. Apparently it had something to do with ‘manly pride’ or something equally as stupid. But if she so much as got a paper cut, they acted like the apocalypse was upon them!

“Can I please just go home?” she asked pleadingly, “I promise, I’ll go straight home. And I _swear_ , I’ll come get one of you when I want to go get that tooth back!”

“Not just yet Toothy, but when we are sure you are okay, you may go.” North said, his tone similar to when a parent was telling their child to wait for something.

Tooth’s feathers puffed out indignantly. She was not a helpless damsel. She was a _warrior_ , a _queen_. She has even gone toe-to-toe with North in a sparring match for Moon’s sake! She didn’t need to be put on the ‘princess-pedestal’ because these guys were worried she’d break a nail! 

Groaning, and too exhausted to fight back, Tooth simply let the boys fuss over her. She could sneak out later when they weren’t looking, go home, get some proper rest, and then work on things from there. 

Now if only she could get them all to stop talking at once and quit aggravating her headache…

X~X~X~X~X~X

It was late evening by the time Tooth actually got some peace and quiet. And by then, she had been physically and mentally drained by their incessant coddling. 

They all had finally started to break up when the time read for Sandy to get going on his dream spreading. After that, Bunny hopped off back to his Warren to catch up on egg inventory. Jack left a couple hours after Bunny to answer the call of snowballs and fun times somewhere in Canada. And finally, North let her off the hook when a few Yetis came in and complained about a few elves messing with their paint work.

When everyone was out, and Tooth got her headache settled down, she took her chance to escape. Though she never expected to find a frowning Baby Tooth behind the door to the room she had been confined to. She less so expected all the rebuking and scolding from the feisty thing.

“Baby Tooth, I know I shouldn’t be leaving yet!” Toothiana rasped, rubbing her sore, bandaged forehead, “But I need to get back to work!”

 _You mean go get that tooth back from that creep_ , was the impression she got from the scrutinizing mini fairy. Tooth sighed and slumped. She cupped her hands and held them out. Baby Tooth lowered herself onto Tooth’s cupped hands and stared up at her with crossed arms and a pursed lower lip. Anyone would have said the fairy looked cute, but Tooth knew she meant business.

“Look, Baby Tooth, I’m going to be honest here,” she started, “Yes, I plan on going back for that tooth. And yes, I plan to do it alone and-”

Shrill chirping cut her off and caused her feathers to puff out in stunned shock. Baby Tooth continued to spout out loud chirping with various hand gestures, her own feathers ruffling and puffing.

“Don’t you use that language on me young lady!” Tooth scolded.

Baby Tooth was relentless though. Tooth personally blamed Jack’s influence. Ever since those two bonded over their last battle, they became inseparable and adopted one another’s traits. In this case, Baby Tooth’s once stubborn nature was doubled by Jack’s own influential stubbornness and rebellion. 

“Baby Tooth! Baby-Bab-…urgh!” Turning tail, Tooth brought the mini fairy into her room and closed the door so no one would hear them. She flew over to her bed and sat the now silenced fairy down on one of the pillows.

“Baby Tooth, I need you to _listen_ to me!” Toothiana said desperately, her hands wringing.

Baby Tooth gave her an odd look, as if she now seemed to notice something off about her queen. She cocked her head, her crest twitching, before silently encouraging Tooth to speak. The fairy queen sighed wearily and sat on the floor before the bed so she was eye level with her fairy.

“Okay…” she breathed, calming herself, “Okay, Baby Tooth, I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that I haven’t given the whole story here…” she started. Baby Tooth rolled her eyes as if to say, ‘you THINK?’

“Look…I’m going to be completely honest here and tell you what happened, but you have to swear to me, _promise me_ , that you will tell _no one_ ,” Tooth emphasized, “Not Jack, not the other fairies, and _especially_ not the other Guardians.”   
Baby Tooth blinked her wide, heterochromatic eyes at her queen as if the bird woman had suddenly grown a second head. Tooth, seeing her stunned and perplexed expression, elaborated as best she could.

“It’s nothing bad, I promise you that,” she said, “I’m only asking you keep this between us because…well, that’s just it. Nothing bad happened. But I…”

Tooth took a minute to try and find the right words to describe – as vaguely as possible – what she was trying to say.

“I…I think I may have walked in on Pitch doing…” she bit her lip and helplessly looked at her fairy, “Something a bit personal…”

Baby Tooth’s eyes widened and her jaw suddenly dropped. Her feathers plumed up again and she started chirping shrilly in disbelief. Tooth’s face turned ten shades of red at what her fairy was asking her and she frantically shook her head.

“What-? _NO!_ ” She exclaimed shrilly, covering her face with her hands, “Oh _Moon_ no! It wasn’t anything like _that_ , no. Why would you even-? How do you even _know_ about stuff like that!?”

Baby Tooth gave her another incredulous look. How did she THINK? She and her sisters work during the night, and all kinds of things happened at night. Half of the things they learned about humans was leaned half the time on _accident_. 

Toothiana suddenly felt the urge to bury her head in a hole. How they went from having a serious discussion to a sex-ed course completely flew over her head. This was just not her day.

“Okay, no, not even close,” She said firmly, “Though he was topless…”

Baby Tooth let out a long, almost groan-like whistle and cupped her tiny hands over her ears. Again, cute moment, immature timing. 

“Look…” Tooth rasped, rubbing her temples, “Just hear me out okay? You wanted to know about this, so you’re going to hear it whether you like it or not.”

Baby Tooth groaned to herself shrilly and dropped her hands to her sides. Tooth had a point though; she asked – demanded – for this, the least she could do was hear her queen out.

Taking in a deep breath, Tooth began to recount her tale in as much detail as she could relay.

The trek into the lair, the searching, the frustration, the rat, the chase with the rat, frustration, her bump to the head, _more frustration_. It all led up to a single moment of hearing music and her curiosity and desperate desire to find a tooth. And it all led up to finding Pitch Black, somehow donned in a new half-man half-snake form, _dancing_ to an Arabian dance number. 

Baby Tooth was, thankfully, silent throughout the whole thing. She actually seemed to become enraptured with the tale, but then became stunned when Tooth mentioned Pitch’s new form.

“He looked like a Naga…” she said, “Granted, I’ve only ever seen a handful of them before, and only spoke to one – she was very nice, kind of awkward though – but I didn’t fully understand it…”

Tooth fiddled with a feather that had come loose from her body while Baby Tooth continued to steadily absorb this new information. It was silent for a short span of time, before Baby Tooth chirped inquisitively at her queen. Tooth shrugged.

“I’m not sure, but I doubt it’s for some new scheme,” she said, “He seemed completely caught up in the…moment…”

The fact that Tooth was having a hard time revisiting the memory spoke volumes to her predicament. For one thing, she was still a bit embarrassed. Though why, she could not figure out; she didn’t know why she felt like she had just walked in on some strange man while he was in the shower. It made no sense! It’s not like she’s never seen Pitch topless!

…alright, that was a lie. She’s never seen him missing any articles of clothing, but that plunging neckline practically gave away what was hidden underneath…no, that was a lie too. That damned shapeless cloak of his was just one big tease – a complete contrast to what he used to wear during their earlier years. Bunny once remarked that he dressed like a hooker during those days. It wasn’t too far of a stretch in all honesty.

The leather, the straps, the belts, the mesh…and all that skin…now it’s even more skin…and scales…Moon, when did he get in shape? He was so scrawny when they last saw him and-

 _‘STOP!’_ That urge to bury her head in a hole was suddenly becoming very appealing. In fact, she was contemplating making the hole herself by slamming her head into the wall.

Groaning, Tooth planted her face into the edge of the bed. She didn’t care what kind of weird look Baby Tooth was giving her at this point. Apparently she left her dignity and pride back in Pitch’s lair along with that accursed tooth. Baby Tooth watched her with a slightly disturbed look on her face. But after a moment of staring, she let out a shrill sigh and chirped lowly at her queen.

Tooth swiftly lifted her head up with wide eyes, “What?”

Baby Tooth gave another chip, louder and slightly annoyed this time, and crossed her tiny arms with a frown at the side wall.

Tooth blinked her large eyes before a large grin broke out over her face. Baby Tooth didn’t have the chance to escape before she was pulled into a tight embrace in Tooth’s hands, her head roughly being nuzzled by the fairy queen’s cheek.

“Oh thank you Baby Tooth! I owe you one!” She crooned, planting a sloppy kiss on the mini fairy’s head.

Chirping indignantly, Baby Tooth wiggled out of Tooth’s hold and chirped fervently at her. She smoothed her tussled feathers down and pointed at Tooth, chirping firmly.

“What? No, Baby Tooth, I’m happy you’re letting me go, but I can’t let you come and-”

The shrill rumble that reverberated from the mini fairy was quite disconcerting. And the absolute death glare she was giving Tooth was also quite unnerving. But it also made one thing clear; she was going with Tooth whether she liked it or not, and there was nothing she could do to stop her.

Tooth sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. There wasn’t anything to be done about it…

“Okay…okay, alright, you can come,” she said, “But if anything happens, I want you to get out. Don’t stick around to try and fight, okay?”

Rolling her eyes, Baby Tooth chirped out an agreement.

Nodding with a grateful grin, Tooth hovered back into the air and flew over to the window – she caught sight of a loose Snowglobe on the desk across from her bed and took it, along with a small satchel she could keep it in; just in case she needed a quick escape. Baby Tooth followed close behind as she opened it up, shuddering briefly from the sudden blast of cold from the North Pole.

Tooth took one last look at the door to her room before turning back to the window, and leaping out and flying towards Burgess…

X~X~X~X~X

Tooth peaked around the tunnel entrance and gazed into an all too familiar foyer. Like before, it was empty save for the hanging cages and a hollow stone globe. Not a sound was heard, and no signs of Fearlings or Nightmares were present. 

Surveying the large room, Tooth looked back at her helper, “We shouldn’t fly while we’re in here. The sound could attract attention.”

Baby Tooth chirped lowly and landed on her queen’s shoulder. Tooth folded her own wings neatly behind her back, and made the trek into the foyer and down the hallway obscured slightly by an all too familiar stalagmite. Tooth winced slightly when she caught sight of a few pin-feathers stuck in a few of its cracks, as well as a very faint stain of blood. She unconsciously ran her hand over the patched up bump on her forehead. Did she really hit it that hard?

Tooth suddenly became distracted by a bead of sweat running down her face. She sighed and quickly wiped it off with a frown. It felt so much hotter than last time for some reason.

 _‘Come to think of it…’_ Tooth looked around the foyer briefly.

It seemed to finally occur to her that there was a very fine layer of fog along the floor of the foyer. The air was thicker and humid too; it was actually hotter and more humid than her own home in Punjam Hy Loo. Her home was pleasantly warm and humid, but this…she almost felt like she was suffocating. And judging by Baby Tooth’s increased breathing and shuffling of her feathers, she felt the same way.

 _‘How can Pitch live like this? I always thought he liked cooler climate…’_ she thought.

Shaking her head, Tooth perished the thought and wandered down the dark hallway. She was determined to find that tooth, and if she found the rat too, well, she would keep her promise; she always carried some pliers with her.

Tooth was about to turn down the next hallway, but a shrill chirp from Baby Tooth caught her attention.

“What? What is it Baby Tooth?” she asked, worried they may have attracted unwanted attention.

Baby Tooth was pointing frantically with wide eyes at the opposite hall. Toothiana turned and gasped, covering her mouth.

The entire hall was covered in black sand. It took her a moment to realize – as they were nearly indistinguishable in their collapsed state – that the piles of sand were disintegrated Nightmares. Hesitantly, Tooth approached one of the mounds of sand and probed it with her foot. Nothing happened, but she noted how the sand seemed damp, and stuck to her foot like she had stepped onto a wet beach.

“What…what happened?” she breathed, “Did the humidity do this to them?”

Baby Tooth merely gave an uncertain whistle, staring at the sand dunes with a wary gaze. Tooth swallowed dryly and turned away from the piles of sand and focused on the hall ahead of her. She could dwell on the Nightmares later, but now she had to focus on getting the missing tooth back. And maybe catch a glimpse of Pitch again while she was at it…

 _‘Oh Moon, what is wrong with me?’_ Tooth mentally blamed her bird-genes on this sudden fascination with Pitch.*

Sighing, Tooth decided to risk it and started to fly down the hallway. It would make things go faster, and chances were, any other Nightmares that were in the lair were in the same condition as the ones Baby Tooth found. And Fearlings alone were too weak to do anything to her – Pitch, however, would be another story.

But the further she went into the underground city, the hotter and more humid it became. Sweat gathered on her brow and seeped into her feathers. It was a gross, and uncomfortable feeling that she tried desperately to ignore. But now that she thought about it, this would explain why Pitch had spontaneously taken the form of a snake. If his lair became like this during the hot seasons, it would have been a fantastic way to survive and adapt to it. Snakes were naturally very comfortable in hot and humid environments after all*, and he couldn’t exactly just go somewhere cooler to stay; no other place could contain his Fearlings or Nightmares like his lair could. This also seemed to explain why his activity was so scarce during the summers, or so it seemed to the Guardians.

Tooth turned another corner suddenly and looked around. She was in the same round room like before, but this time she couldn’t hear any music coming from any of the adjoining hallways. It was still and quiet as death, and the humidity was at its worst. 

Tooth looked around at the various hallways and frowned. Where should she start? But then again, there were likely dozens, if not hundreds, of tunnels and rooms for her to check. There was no way she could look into them all to find one tooth. Especially if the rat still had it; for all she knew, the rat did still have it and would move around from room to room!

“Well…” she sighed, “Better get started. Baby Tooth, you go take the hall to the left, I’ll check the right one. If you find anything, come get me, okay?”

Chirping an affirmative, Baby Tooth flew off her shoulder and zipped down the directed hallway. Once she was sure Baby Tooth wasn’t flying into any trouble, Tooth departed down her own hallway.

Unlike the majority of the hallways, this one was much shorter and had only one turn. The room it led to was also illuminated with fiery torches perched on the walls, the room itself revealing to be a large armory. 

Swords, spears, bows and arrows, maces, clubs and various types of armor and shields – it was all stored neatly and hung on the walls of that one room. 

“Wow…” she breathed, hovering over to look at a form-fitting suit of black armor. Intimidating as it was, it was a beautiful set, and its streamlined form would allow the wearer more movement in a fight.

Judging by its height and the general body shape, Tooth guessed it was to be worn by Pitch. But Tooth couldn’t really imagine him wearing armor. Though as she stepped back and looked at it, picturing Pitch fit into it, she had to admit it was a rather handsome image…

_Clunk…_

“Ow!” Tooth instinctively withdrew her foot when she accidently backed her heel into something hard.

Looking down, she stared in astonishment at the pile of metal just lying on the floor. The strangely shaped metals were arranged in a curved row, like a large armored snake-

Gasping, Tooth kneeled down to the row of metal and reached out for it. Her hands brushed over a part of it, and she shuddered. The metal – no, the _armor_ had the same textural pattern of Pitch’s scales. It wasn’t as soft as his scales, but it was just as smooth, and held a gossamer sheen from the low fire light of the torches. 

But how was it even made? The whole thing was all one piece, not sectioned like it would normally be made in this size. It was impossible to form something like it without building it up in sections, and yet there were no marks to suggest this. And why would he need armor for his snake tail in the first place?

 _‘And why texture it like his scales…?’_ She thought, gently running her fingers over the scaled ridges in curiosity. 

Her thoughts were shattered, however, by the sound of a certain mini fairy shrieking as she flew into the room in a frenzy. Tooth swiftly turned and looked at her flustered fairy.

“Baby Tooth, what is it? Did you find something?” she asked, cupping her hands under the fairy.

Baby Tooth did not land though. Instead she fluttered in place, feathers puffed out and gesturing frantically to the door. All the while she spouted various chirps, whistles and cries in such a speedy succession, Tooth could barely keep up with it.

“What…? Pitch? You found Pitch but…?” Tooth frowned.

Baby Tooth whistled shrilly and started gesturing again. All Tooth managed to catch were ‘Pitch’, ‘not waking up’, and ‘help’. 

‘What…?’ the gears in Tooth’s head started turning. The sudden mental image of the disintegrated Nightmare sand suddenly came to mind, while the rest of her head did the math of what her fairy was saying.

Gasping, Tooth bolted back down the hall with Baby Tooth on her tail. She turned down the hallway she had sent Baby Tooth down and looked around.

It was a bedroom, or so she assumed it was one. There was a lounge area with a couple tall bookcases pushed up against the back and far right wall, while the right wall held a fireplace with a wardrobe up against the back wall next to it. The wall across from the door was dominated by a luxurious silken bed drape held up on the wall by a bird cage similar to the ones in the foyer. The black drapes were speckled with gold embroidery in various patterns and shapes, matching gold and black lace flanking the inside of the long drapes.

But instead of accenting and draping over a bed, the drapes cast themselves over a huge pile of plush silken pillows of various shades of black and gold, the largest one dominating the pile covered in embroidery that matched the drapes.

And on the pile of pillows lay Pitch Black. And he wasn’t moving…

“Um…” Tooth started, uncertain, “Pitch…?”

The Nightmare King didn’t move, and Tooth suddenly became aware of Baby Tooth chirping urgently at her. The mini fairy suddenly bolted over to Pitch, now hovering over his bare torso. She gestured frantically to him and chirped at Tooth.

 _He won’t wake up!_ She said.

Gasping, Tooth flew over and hovered over Pitch, taking in his flushed appearance.

The Nightmare King was breathing frantically, seemingly passed out. He was clad in nothing but his form fitting leggings, so it wasn’t hard to notice the thin layer of sweat glazing his body in a bright sheen. His breast heaved with each breath he took, and his cheeks were flushed purple – was that normal!?*

“Pitch? Pitch!” she called, touching his shoulder. Tooth almost immediately pulled it back though at what she felt.

He was positively _sweltering._ She may not know what his normal body temperature should be, but even Tooth knew that that kind of high body heat was not a good sign. It was no wonder he wasn’t waking up; he was probably suffering heatstroke!   
“Oh Moon…!” she exclaimed.

Baby Tooth chirped and gestured frantically, at a loss of what to do. Tooth looked around the room, trying to find anything that could help. Pitch was severely overheated, and spirit or not, even he could die from it.

Water…she needed to find water. She had to cool him off. But how? All the water sources she had first seen in his lair had all evaporated to become humidity in his lair. The pools were gone, so she couldn’t drag him to one of those. 

Looking back at Pitch, Tooth grabbed his shoulders and shook him a bit.

“Pitch! Come on, I need you to open your eyes,” she said loudly, hoping it would wake him, “You need to turn back into that snake form, otherwise you’re going to overheat!”

No response other than a garbled moan from the overheating shade, his head lolling back limply. Frantic, Tooth slapped him clean across the cheek to hopefully garner a response. Nothing.

 _‘Oh come on, what can I-’_ Tooth paused her thought as her forgotten satchel bumped against her hip.

The pole! She could take him to the North pole, it was definitely cold enough there.

 _‘No, no! It’s too cold, and he’s covered in sweat. He’ll be a popsicle before he wakes up.’_ She thought.

Groaning in frustration, Tooth took out the Snowglobe anyways. She had to figure out some place she could take him where he would be safe, cool, and unable to cause trouble if he was capable of it. But where could they go? 

Tooth bit her lip as the reflection of a familiar palace showed in the globe. She had wanted to avoid taking him there at all costs, but…

Looking to the panting Nightmare King, Tooth felt a pang of sympathy for the suffering man. Obviously her accidental peeking in on him had either caused him to revert to his original form, or he was just as embarrassed as she was at the time and still reversed it.

Her hands tightened around the globe as she stared at Pitch’s flushed form. She didn’t have much choice now, did she?

Making up her mind, Tooth flew down to hover by Pitch’s left side. She slipped one arm under his upper back, and used the other to guide his long arm over her petite shoulders. She kicked her wings into gear and hauled him up into a sitting position – he was lighter than she expected, much to her surprise and relief. 

She managed to haul him off the pile of pillows and slumped against her hovering form. It was a bit difficult to keep a hold on his damp body, but she managed to keep him hanging from her shoulders. Baby Tooth tried to help by grabbing his limp hand in her arms – it wasn’t really much help, but it was still appreciated by Tooth. Shaking the globe, she said her destination.

“Tooth Palace!”

She threw the globe, causing a swirling vortex of various colors to spring forth. Tooth looked to her helper and smiled meekly.

“Ready?” she asked.

Baby Tooth nodded and gave her queen an encouraging smile. Nodding over to her helper, Tooth sighed and guided them into the portal.

To be continued…


	6. Chapter 6

The first thing Pitch became actively aware of was how _hot_ he felt.

The second thing he noticed was the strange, yet comforting floating sensation he felt around his body. Like he was lying on a cloud, and it was slowly, so very slowly, getting cooler. 

His sense of awareness was blurry and sluggish, and he only became aware of his senses coming back by the slow progression of sound, sight, and touch being integrated back into his thought process. The first sound he considered to be significant – and hopefully not a hallucination – were the sounds of running water and…chirping sounds? Was he outside?

No, that wasn’t right. But the dark, muddled yellow passing over his eyelids would say otherwise. And the chirping was too constant, like there was an endless flock of birds flying over him. And they sounded oddly familiar…

A sudden throb resonated through his limbs, causing a muffled groan to thrum through his throat. Oh Moon everything _hurt…!_

His legs, his arms, especially his joints and head – they all bloody _hurt!_ What in the name of hell _happened to him?_ What could cause these grinding, pulsating aches and pains in his limbs? His skin didn’t feel damaged, and yet it felt like someone had taken a bunch of heated knives to his bones and muscles. His bones felt brittle, like they had been replaced with poorly spun glass. And his flesh…ye gods since when was his own skin so tight and hot? Was it spontaneously replaced with poorly cured leather?

 _‘Hot…it’s too hot…!’_ Another groan escaped his parched throat – when did his throat suddenly become filled with sand? – and he felt his shaking limbs shifting in a weak attempt at struggling.

Something cool and soft landed gently on his cheeks.

“No, don’t move,” he heard a voice – a woman’s voice – say, “You’re still too sick to move.”

Sick? When did he get sick? And that floating sensation…he really was floating, but not like he originally assumed. It wasn’t some kind of bodily hallucination, he concluded. No, judging by the very slight yet gentle resistance to his movements, and the buoyancy, he was floating in water. And the two soft things – hands he realized – on his cheeks were keeping his head above the water. And his head was leaning against something he couldn’t really make out…

“Wuhn…” what was _that?_ Did that seriously just come out of his mouth? What was wrong with him!?

“Oh!” the voice exclaimed in realization. One of the hands on his face removed itself – why did he suddenly miss it? – and sounds of what he assumed was pottery clunked around beside him. He heard something ‘plunk’ into the water briefly before the lip of either a bowl of a wide cup was pressed to his own dry lips. 

“Here, now that you’re awake, it should be easier to drink now.” The woman said gently. 

Drink? Water… _water!_

Pitch’s sense of manners and dignity seemed to completely fly out the proverbial window at the implication of the liquid. He ignored the startled protests as one of his arms shot out of the water and tipped the bowl back as far as it could go to allow the maximum amount of water to fall into his mouth.*

Moon and stars above, it was so good, he needed _more…!_

Gasping and tossing the bowl aside, he slipped out of the woman’s grasp and allowed himself to sink into the pool of water, ignoring her startled protests. 

It felt like an icy slap to the face when his head was submerged, but it felt so _good_ and the _relief_ oh gods he just wanted to drown drown _drown…!_

Something broke the surface of the water and grabbed his arm, yanking upwards against the pull of the water. Pitch sucked down as much of the clear liquid as he could before his head broke the surface again, his water logged hearing picking up the sound of startled yelling and scolding. 

“-in Moon’s name are you doing!?” was what he managed to catch when the water left his ears, “You could have drowned!”

Wasn’t that the point though? Pitch mentally frowned. No…no, that wasn’t what he wanted to do. Why would he do that?

The Boogeyman felt the sludge in his brain slowly start to clear from his mind. It seemed dunking one’s head in cool water was actually quite an effective method to clear the head – not to mention it was quite refreshing now that he thought about it. But so far, instead of trying to scrap up any and all forms of relief from his formerly hazy state, he felt his once resolve start to awaken as his senses fully revived themselves.

He frowned as he was hauled up against what he now could conclude was the edge of either a swimming pool or a man-made body of water. He ignored the scolding voice, his eyes slowly recovering and demanding to open, despite the promise of light.

Slowly, his eyes cracked open just the tiniest bit, and almost immediately shut at the onslaught of light that assaulted his pupils. He groaned, but mentally willed himself to plow through and adjust. The second time he opened his eyes – a bit wider this time – Pitch felt a sense of déjà vu overcome him. 

Gold and various other iridescent colors of jewels and gems overran his vision. Before him was a large expanse of deep blue water, and above it, an all too familiar mural featuring a certain Guardian of Memories. 

The rest of the vague information he had taken in seemed to fall into place.

The bird-like sounds he had heard were from the mini fairies up above in the towers, a few of them hovering around the oasis. The light he had once thought could have been the sun itself had dimmed as his brain finally registered that it wasn’t, in fact, that bright, and turned out to be the nearly dawn-colored gold of Tooth Palace. The unknown, tropical smell he now seemed to register was likely from the jungle below, as well as the small abundance of tropical fruits piled in various baskets off to the side of the pool.

And the owner of the hands that once rested so comfortingly on his face just so happened to be Toothiana…

Pitch now had three options. He could go completely postal and fall into his usual dramatics and fight tooth and nail to escape what was obviously a kidnapping. He could take the more cautious approach and try and make a break for it and take his chances. Or he could be tactful and use a more passive approach.

He chose option three; denial.

“Oh I see,” he said blankly, “I’m still hallucinating. How lovely…” 

No, he was not in Tooth palace. No, he was not floating in a pool of blessedly cool water that was soothing his scorching body. No, he had not been previously tended to so tenderly by Toothiana during his weakened state. _Nope_ , he was _not_ in denial!

Tooth, meanwhile, simply gave Pitch a slightly bewildered look, as if he had suddenly asked how the weather was. Well, actually, by this point that probably would have made more sense, or so she thought. 

“Um…Pitch?” she started carefully, as if she were speaking to a frightened animal, “You’re not hallucinating. I found you passed out in your lair suffering from heatstroke…”

His lair? Heatstroke? How absurd! He could suffer no such illness, his body would never be affected by the he-

 _‘Wait…’_ Pitch’s eyes widened and his eyes veered down to his lower body. He gaped in open shocked.

Instead of seeing a long, obsidian tail like he expected, he saw a pair of gangly legs – still thankfully clad in their trademark leggings, thank the Moon. It seemed Tooth was descent enough to leave him at least half dressed; he was missing his cloak.

He suddenly frowned again, a twinge of falsehood prickling at his brain. No, that wasn’t right…no, _he_ took his own cloak off. But why? Why did he…?

 _‘Wait, no…that’s right! I took it off because I was…warm?’_ he thought, his frown deepening. Why had he been warm?

Something seemed to click in Pitch’s head, and it clicked hard.

Yes, now he remembered. Tooth had come into his lair a while ago, perhaps a day ago. She had been looking for…for a tooth! Yes, a tooth. But she stumbled upon Pitch himself while he was…was _dancing!_ In his new form no less! And he had, obviously, blown the proverbial fuse out of humiliation and chased her out. And after that…he had reverted back to his natural form, vowing to never take on his serpentine form ever again. But then it suddenly started getting hotter…and hotter…and _hotter…_

 _‘That’s right…my Nightmares, they started disintegrating, and I was getting so tired…’_ he thought, _‘Yes, it was warm, and I was tired. I went to go to sleep and then…’_

And then what? 

It suddenly seemed to occur to Pitch that, if not for Tooth, he would have burnt to death from the inside out from his skyrocketing fever. Who in their right mind falls asleep in the middle of a giant oven!? Well, obviously he hadn’t been in his right mind, the heat must have slowly been frying any and all brain cells he possessed at the time and lulled him into a state of exhaustion. And he was all too familiar with that state…

But then…did that mean this _wasn’t_ a hallucination? He didn’t die and wake up in some kind of personal hell crafted just for him? Or was he in some kind of macabre heaven? 

Tooth was slowly finding herself becoming uncomfortable under the hazy, suspicious gaze of the Nightmare King. Granted she couldn’t blame him for his thinking she was a hallucination. He was likely still a bit hazy in the head, and past history would understandably prevent him from accepting that she would help him in any way, shape, or form. Why on earth would he expect any help from her, or any of the Guardians for that matter?

The thought suddenly saddened her, and dropped a burden of remorse into her stomach. Really, it had gotten to the point where Pitch was denying she had saved him from dying a slow, agonizing death in his own home. The thought of anyone, even Pitch, dying had never settled well with Tooth. Death was not something most people welcomed so freely, nor was it something one often thought about, especially if they were immortal. 

But now the very idea of Pitch’s life ending – and in such a painful way – suddenly made Tooth ill. She couldn’t say she liked him, but she didn’t hate him, and she definitely didn’t wish death on him! 

_‘Well if this doesn’t make me want to crawl into a hole, I don’t know what will…’_ she sighed and sat on her knees at the shore of the pool, hands folded neatly on her lap.

“Pitch, this isn’t a hallucination,” she started, “I went back to your lair to get a lost tooth back that had been left behind. But instead Baby Tooth and I found you passed out from overheating in your room. And, well…” her hands started fidgeting, her upper teeth chewing her lower lip.

“Well…I couldn’t just leave you there! You were just so hot and – I-I mean! Not hot, like attractive hot – erm, I mean, not to say you’re not attractive or anything, I just – no wait, what I mean to say is…”

Pitch was getting the distinct impression that he was, in fact, hallucinating. It would explain everything. There was just no way Tooth had just implied he was attractive in her eyes. There was also simply no way Tooth was sitting there, stuttering and tripping over her words in his presence. This was not happening. And if he wasn’t hallucinating, well, it just meant he’s finally gone full circle round the bend…

 _‘So it’s true then. I have finally gone mad.’_ He thought. Maybe he could spare himself the humiliation of others finding out and drown himself in this imaginary water…

_Chirp!_

Pitch jumped when he got a face full of scrutinizing mini fairy. The heterochromatic eyes and beauty mark under the right eye became the all too familiar traits he recognized from a previous encounter.

Frost’s little sidekick puffed up and glared daggers at Pitch, as if she was just waiting for him to pick a fight with her. He was almost tempted actually, if only because he was too prideful to never back down from any kind of fight, even with a damn fairy. 

“Baby Tooth!” Toothiana scolded. She hovered over and quickly shooed the fairy away – although Baby Tooth only gave the compromise of hovering behind Tooth as her queen confronted the man. The fairy eyed Pitch suspiciously and puffed up when they locked eyes; she meant business. 

“Alright, um, Pitch…” Tooth started, facing the half submerged man, “This, this right here, is not a hallucination. It’s real, _I’m_ real. And I was telling the truth when I said I found you in your lair passed out and overheating…”

Pitch slowly seemed to absorb this information. It was like the start of a slow trickle leaking from a dam. The crack steadily expanded, and the trickle became a steady flow. But the moment Tooth firmly insisted on her being in his home, finding him so ill, the crack split and the dam burst.

Which meant he had to rethink he latter strategy and use a different coping method. 

“Oh I call complete and utter _bullshit!_ ” he snapped, rising up further from the water.

Tooth gasped, “Excuse me? What did you-what are you doing!?” she snapped.

“I…!” Pitch grunted as he hauled himself out of the pool of water and shakily stood up on his heavy legs. He felt like there were lead weights tied to his ankles, “Am leaving…!”

“Pitch, no, you can’t just-! Will you listen to me!?” The fairy zipped after the unsteady Boogeyman, all of whom was trying to locate a dark enough shadow to teleport through.

“You can’t just leave! You’re nowhere near recovered!” she snapped, hovering in front of him to block his path.

“Woman, I am plenty fine, thank you very much! I have been through far worse!” he snapped, trying to maneuver around here, but only managing to grab onto a small tree to balance himself. Why was it so fricken hot…!?

“What the-!?” flustered, Tooth’s face took on an interesting shade of red, hackles rising, “Woman!?”

“Listen you, I-hey!” Pitch flinched back as Baby Tooth swarmed and buzzed around his face, chirping and squeaking shrilly at him. Her colorful body’s movement was quite dizzying to look at, and she was close enough for her beak-like nose to poke an eye out.

“Get out of here you little-!” leaning back, Pitch swatted a hand at her while he kept the other on the tree to stay upright, “Would you just-!?”

“Baby Tooth! Stop that!” He heard Tooth scold. Unbelievable, doesn’t that fairy know how to control her charges?

 _‘Oh you’re one to talk…’_ he thought. Since when did he think to himself in the second person? And why was it so _fricken hot here!?_

“Urgh! Get your damned pest of a minion out of my face and-!” a sudden lurch in his gut cut Pitch’s rant off short, and a sudden wave of foreboding unease shot up into his throat. Pitch’s arm wrapped around his suddenly tense stomach, while the second hand clapped over his mouth.

“Oh damn…!” Falling to his knees, Pitch turned away from the fairies, back arching as he proceeded to purge whatever little food he had last consumed in the last twenty-four hours.* 

Tooth squeaked in surprise as the Boogeyman lurched and gagged, partly digested food falling from his mouth along with bile and a worrying amount of black fluid. And whether it was from pure instinct or pity, Tooth didn’t give a second thought in flitting over to the ill spirit to kneel beside him, a dainty hand rubbing his shaking back soothingly. Baby Tooth, meanwhile, was looking a bit sick herself and opted to stay as far away from Pitch’s puking range as possible.

Only two minutes passed before Pitch stopped vomiting, and another three minutes until he stopped gagging and choking. But to him, it felt like days had gone by. His body was pulsing with a painful heat, the aches in his limbs intensifying with each pulse. His throat hurt and felt raw, like someone had taken a branding iron to his esophagus. He felt disgusting and sick and this _heat_ oh Moon make it stop…!

Tooth winced when Pitch abruptly flopped onto his side, mindful of the puddle of purged fluids, and simply lay staring at the sheer wall leading up to the towers, panting. The fairy queen felt a jolt of pained sympathy for the Boogeyman. She quickly shooed Baby Tooth away to give Pitch some space, and to properly help him without worrying about the mini fairy assaulting him.

Looking back at him, Tooth was slightly disturbed by the trail of black liquid steadily streaming down from his eyes, like inky tears. His skin was flushed near white, and yet there were patches of purple on his body – his neck, cheeks, and ears were the most prominent areas. 

“Pitch…?” she started gently, hesitantly placing a hand on his shaking, clammy arm, “Are you okay? Did you get it all out?”

Pitch panted between words as he spoke, “What…does it look like…? I feel…bloody _fantastic…!_ ” he coughed and groaned at the strain the action inflicted upon his raw throat. 

Tooth decided to ignore his snark for the moment; now was not the time to provoke the Nightmare King and inevitably fall hook, line, and sinker into one of his immature games. He was starting to overheat again if what she was feeling under her hand was anything to go by, and the fact that he started throwing up was also not a good sign. His body was going through too much stress; he needed to calm down and cool off.

_‘But he can’t stay in the water forever…’ _she thought, _‘And he needs to eat something too, but he can’t keep anything down if he’s overheating like this.’___

__Sighing, Tooth shook her head. She didn’t have much choice in the matter, but it wasn’t like she was going to expect Pitch to cooperate, let alone agree._ _

__“Come on Pitch, let’s get you back into the water.” She said._ _

__Pitch was too exhausted and miserable to protest by this point. He let he fairy queen help haul him up to his unsteady feet, and lead him back to the water’s edge. She sat him down by the shore, letting him slip his legs into the water before the rest of him followed. She sat on the edge of the shore beside him, his head resting on one folded arm on the shore._ _

__Instant relief washed over him, but it wasn’t as healing as it was before. If anything, it was barely doing anything in curing his body of the aches and pains, nor was it dispelling too much of the heat in his body. He was so tired, but he was not about to fall asleep again. What if he woke up in North’s Workshop this time? Or worse, Bunny’s Warren…_ _

__He suddenly became aware of Tooth talking to him, her voice breaking through his slowly blurring mind._ _

__“-turn back into that form.” Was all he caught. He frowned at her, confused. Turn back? Back to what? What was she talking about?_ _

__Tooth seemed to pick up on his perplexed expression and sighed, her feathers flattening nervously. She fiddled with some of the feathers on her wrists and gave Pitch a slightly apprehensive look._ _

__“That snake form you had before, you need to turn back into it so you can survive the climate here.” She explained._ _

__The haze that once clouded Pitch’s head seemed to clear up the moment she brought up his Naga form. The Boogeyman snarled – though weakly – at her and sneered._ _

__“If you think for one minute that I am going to let you patronize me-”_ _

__“Oh wake up Pitch! This is not the time to be prideful,” Tooth snapped, “You’re sick, and if you don’t change and adapt, you will die!”_ _

__It was a harsh and blunt way of putting things, but damn it, Tooth was getting so fed up with Pitch’s illogically stubborn attitude. Was he really so adamant at preserving his pride over his life?_ _

__Pitch grit his teeth – Tooth had to physically restrain herself from grabbing and shaking him so he would stop it – and _growled_ at Tooth. The fairy woman barely withheld a shudder from the animalistic noise that sounded like a cross between a cat’s purr and a tiger’s sensual rumble. _ _

__“And why the hell should I listen to you?” he hissed, “Give me one good reason why I should obey you – you, who trapped me in my own personal hell, lashed out at me when I was defenseless, oh and let’s not forget you’re barging into my home like some uncivilized heathen!”_ _

__The latter insult was, surprisingly, not enough to clear away the guilt that dropped into Tooth’s gut. But this definitely explained Pitch’s rebellion. What she assumed was stubborn pride, was actually fear. It wasn’t about his image, it was about the fact that he honestly thought he was in a dangerous position to be in. He was like a cornered animal; he was frightened but didn’t outwardly show it. Instead raised his hackles and bore his teeth to try and intimidate and work his way out of the corner. He didn’t trust her – understandably so, but that didn’t mean Tooth still didn’t feel a bit put out._ _

__She sighed. There was almost nothing to be done about it. She would have to negotiate with Pitch; it was the only real method she could use that has at least a small guarantee of working._ _

__“Okay…” she sighed, “Listen…I’ll make you a deal.”_ _

__“Oh this ought to be good…” Pitch rasped, his body going limp over the pool’s edge. He was so damn tired…_ _

__“Firstly…” Tooth started, ignoring his snarky remark, “If you turn into your snake form, and let your body recover, I will leave you alone and never bring up what it is I saw in your lair yesterday.”_ _

__Pitch scoffed, but he seemed to be listening._ _

__“Second, I want you to stay here until you are fully recovered,” she said, “If you cooperate and don’t harm me or my fairies, I’ll leave you be to do…anything within reason around here.”_ _

__“And…?”_ _

__“And…” Tooth paused, contemplating the thoughts running rampant through her head, suddenly unsure. Was she seriously going to actually bride him into her own selfish desires? Did she really want to put that deal on the table?_ _

___‘Oh screw it…’_ she could dwell on her guilt later, now she had a negotiation to proceed with._ _

__“And I want you to stay here for the rest of the summer.” She said._ _

___…what?_ _ _

__Pitch took a moment to rewind and play back just what he thought he heard come out of the fairy’s mouth. He stared at her expectantly, waiting for the anticipated punch-line to what was obviously a very bad joke._ _

__It never came._ _

__“…I’m sorry, I think a couple of your fairies must have lodged themselves into my ears.” he rasped._ _

__“Y-you have to stay here …” Tooth said, trying to stay confident._ _

__Pitch suddenly barked out laughing – the action causing a small coughing fit and a wave of dizziness to wash over him. He forced himself to calm down, and once the black spots cleared from his vision, he sneered at Tooth._ _

__“And what makes you think I’ll willingly stay?” he scoffed, “Better yet, why would you want me to stay?”_ _

___‘Because your other form is absolutely gorgeous and I want to see those scales again and maybe get to know you better and-NO!’_ Tooth mentally kicked herself, straightening her posture and putting on an impassive, yet assertive, face._ _

__“Because if you don’t stay, I’ll tell the others about your form, and how you attacked me when I went to get that tooth.” She startled herself at what she said._ _

__Pitch openly gaped at her, his pale skin flushing even more – that can’t be healthy, Tooth thought. He suddenly glowered nastily and bore his sharp teeth at her._ _

__“Are you _blackmailing_ me?” he hissed._ _

__Tooth was not swayed, “If you want to call if that…”_ _

___‘What am I doing!? I don’t want to blackmail him! What is wrong with me!? Am I THAT desperate to see a few measly scales?’_ Tooth made a mental note to later reflect back on her suddenly sketchy morals. _ _

__Pitch’s dark expressions suddenly became borderline homicidal. Tooth did not relent though, despite her nervousness and fears. She only hoped that, in his weakened state, that Pitch was unable to fully read her fears._ _

__Tooth jumped when Pitch suddenly hissed, his eyes screwed shut. At first she thought he was suffering from more pain, or he was going to be sick again. But instead, she was awestruck by the faint glowing and fluctuating aura emitting from below the water’s surface._ _

__Tooth leaned over the pool slightly and watched, wide-eyed, as Pitch started to change._ _

__His legs pressed together, his leggings becoming like living shadows and wrapping around the slender limbs like a cocoon. The shadows swelled and expanded, elongating deeper and deeper into the pool in a long trail of gossamer midnight black tendrils._ _

__Pitch, meanwhile, was fighting to keep himself from outright screaming in agony. The familiar ball of energy pressing into his pelvis was far from pleasant in his current condition. His aching stomach lurched as more pressure was applied, white spots flashing in and out of his vision. But he knew he had to keep going; if he stopped while in the middle of his transformation, he could be seriously deformed – likely permanently._ _

__He grit his teeth while Tooth stared in awe as a coil broke the surface of the water in a gentle, flowing arch. The wet scales gleamed with iridescent rainbow colors from the reflective towers and colors around them, the few colored scales all shining vividly._ _

___‘They’re so beautiful…’_ she thought._ _

__Her resolve was cut short by a shrill grunt from Pitch. Sweat beaded down his forehead, causing loose strands of his hair to stick to his forehead. Tooth shuddered at the wild and feral look it gave him. The Nightmare King shuddered as more scales climbed up his back and ended between his shoulder blades in an arrow shape, and rest of his tail finally reaching its final stages in length._ _

__The faint glow subsided, and the transformation was done. Tooth stared in awe as Pitch shuddered once before going limp against the shore. He groaned and gazed up at Tooth with a sheet-white face, his body shaking._ _

__Tooth stared back at him, suddenly expecting some kind of attack or retaliation for watching him change._ _

__Pitch abruptly fainted._ _

__To be continued…_ _


	7. Chapter 7

The universe must have some kind of personal vendetta against Pitch, he was sure of it…

Because he was not damned to this planet for the sole purpose of constantly waking up – in pain – with a hazy mind conveying an undertone of even hazier circumstances. It absolutely made _no sense._

 _‘Oh how the mighty have fallen…’_ he thought sleepily. Well he supposed the only good thing about waking up this time was the fact that he was on something comfortable. And scaly…why was it-? Oh…oh right. 

Blearily, Pitch cracked his weary eyes open with a groan that seemed to reverberate all the way down into his serpentine form. He no longer felt like a furnace was about to explode inside of him, the nausea was not but a minor pang in his belly, and the aches and pains were reduced to unnoticeable pin pricks. 

Though blurry, Pitch’s vision was able to make out the general shape of his environment, and the colors. He seemed to still be by the pool – he honestly didn’t expect Tooth to have the ability to pick his now heavier body up – and the colors were dimmer and richer now; it was probably sundown. 

Sighing, Pitch stretched out his arms over the arch of coils he was flopped over. His scales shuddered and shuffled as he woke up and shifted. But an odd sensation against one of his coils made him pause in his languid stretching. His already shuttered eyes narrowed even more; what was that? It felt like… _feathers?_

Tooth sighed softly and shifted in her little ‘nest’. Said nest was actually a smaller, second coil consisting of Pitch’s lower tail. The fairy had hardly left his side when he had fainted from the drain of his power – the only exceptions were when she went to assist her fairies or to get a snack for herself. It had gotten to the point where all her work and physical, and mental, exhaustion had caught up to her, and she fell asleep in the most appealing place. Case in point, in the serpent Boogeyman’s coils. It didn’t sound hospitable when you say it, but really, Pitch was actually very comfy. His scales were silky smooth and soft, and she could clearly hear his heartbeat reverberating through his tail. It had surprised her at first; she didn’t think Pitch even had a heart. But then once that statement passed through her head, she had to wonder just who was really the heartless one in the palace…

Shifting, Tooth shuffled her wings against her back before curling up further into the mass of scales and warmth. Pitch’s new body was surprisingly warm; likely from his ability to absorb and dispel heat. And it only seemed to lull her further into sleep.

She contemplated trying to go back to sleep for a few more minutes, but a sudden rumbling from deep within Pitch’s coils shook her awake. The vibrations tumbled against her body pleasantly, but the fact that it never happened before now put her on alert. 

Tooth peeked one eye open to look around blearily. Nothing was wrong or out of place, and Pitch wasn’t moving much, so he was likely still asleep. Right…?

Pitch, meanwhile, was now more alert and far from tired anymore. Though his body was still weak, he literally had to put every ounce of his strength into pushing his upper torso up from his coil by his arms. His chin landed heavily on his collar. He hissed painfully; his head felt like lead, and his neck was stiff and aching. 

He groaned and shakily placed a hand to his eyes, ‘ _Moon above, did I get into a bar fight with Patrick?’_

Groaning to himself, and feeling like he had the worst hangover of the century, Pitch looked around at his clearer surroundings through his fingers. He was definitely still in Tooth Palace – apparently it wasn’t a dream or hallucination. He didn’t know whether to be relieved or outraged.

Another strange shift against his coils caught his attention. And now that he was more aware, and this time not completely defenseless, Pitch tensed up. The muscles in his tail tightened like bow strings, and he felt the oddity tense against him as well. His body now pulled taut, and his needle-point teeth bared, Pitch struck over his coils and towards whoever – or whatever – had the gall to touch him while he was-

“EEK!”

When Tooth decided to take a look at Pitch’s torso over the hill of coils blocking her sight, she wasn’t expecting to get a face full of Pitch’s fangs and his nasty scowl. And if that wasn’t unsettling enough, the flickering forked tongue and slit pupils were.

Feathers puffed up like a startled cat, Tooth stared into Pitch’s cat-like eyes with a renewed admiration. The gold burst, now narrowed along with the navette shaped pupil, was like looking into a freshly cracked quartz of gold and silver. The obsidian shard of his pupil only seemed to add onto the strange anomaly, if not made it all the more attractively haunting. 

Tooth couldn’t seem to tear her own amethyst eyes away from the other’s sharp irises. She was struck deaf, dumb, and blind from sheer surprise and…attraction?

 _‘Oh hell, I am doomed…’_ she thought.

Pitch, meanwhile, was a bit unsure as what he should be feeling at the moment. Tooth had yet to move away from him, her body frozen in…not so much as terror, but not quite surprise…? Her gaze was wide and shocked, yes, but her eyes seemed to express a vague sense of intrigue. Estranged curiosity perhaps? Stunned awe? It was certainly something along those lines. He just couldn’t put his finger on just what it was he was reading from her.

His eyes narrowed suspiciously, his tongue flicking out of his mouth briefly. This seemed to break Tooth’s intense staring as her eyes swiveled down to his mouth. She looked utterly dumbstruck!

Really, it was now a matter of whether or not he should feel flattered or embarrassed…

“You know, it’s impolite to stare at one’s mouth.” He remarked dryly. 

“Huh? Eek!” Her face flushing various shades of red, and only made more prominent by her cool-color feathers, Tooth swiftly flew back a few feet from Pitch. She hastily tried to smooth down her feathers and cleared her throat.

“So uh, sleep well?” she started, “Any good dreams?”

The absolutely _flat_ stare Pitch suddenly gave Tooth made her cringe. She mentally kicked herself and had the sudden urge to crawl into a hole somewhere. Did she seriously just ask _Pitch Black_ if he had _good dreams?_ Why? Why did she ask that? Was she insane? And wasn’t there supposed to be some kind of filter between her mouth and her suddenly scrambled brain? What was wrong with her!?

“That,” Pitch deadpanned, “Was by far, the utmost cruelest joke I have ever heard.” 

Tooth’s face suddenly became a furnace at this – her embarrassment was only made worse by the fact that Pitch wasn’t responding violently, but impassively. She couldn’t be sure if it was because of exhaustion on his part, or her statement was just so utterly tactless that he couldn’t even muster up the drive to be angry. 

And in her flustered state, Tooth suddenly found herself unable to _shut her mouth._

“I-I am so sorry! I-I didn’t mean-well, I did mean it but I-no wait! I didn’t mean it like, good-good dreams, I just meant like nightmares-

“Tooth…” Pitch tried, his expression still blank yet somewhat annoyed.

“I mean, you being you – not that there’s anything wrong with that – you would probably like bad dreams more than good dreams-

“Tooth.”

“I-I mean, not that I’m trying to be stereotypical or assuming, it’s just that, well, I figured you would-”

“Tooth!” 

“But then again, I think I recall you dreaming of butterflies last time we met? Gah! I-I mean! W-we kind of got off on the wrong foot, even though you took my fairies and the teeth and-”

“TOOTHIANA!”

The fairy queen’s mouth clamped shut with an audible ‘click’ – she winced at what kind of damage she could have done to her teeth from the action. Although she was a bit distracted by the fact that Pitch’s hand was clapped over her mouth, and she was slightly started by its size. She never paid too much attention to Pitch’s hands – she was far too focused on his jagged mouth – but now she could certainly say they were big enough to wrap halfway around her head. His palm was expansive, and his fingers were eerily long. The hand felt very hot, like a heating pad against her mouth…

“Moon above, take a breath before you start turning blue and let me get a word in!” Pitch snapped. Though he didn’t seem so much as angry as he was just exhausted.

“Now listen to me carefully,” he said emphatically, “I am going to take my hand off of your mouth, and then you are going to tell me, calmly, how long I was out, what happened to me, and more importantly, _why the hell_ you were _sleeping_ on me. Am I clear, _darling?_ ”

His purred, though sharp, ‘darling’ sent a frightening yet exhilarating shudder up the fairy’s spine. And the flicker of his forked tongue with each ‘S’ he spoke with made him seem so… _exotic._

His hand slid off her mouth – why did she suddenly miss it – and he crossed his arms over his lean muscled chest. Seriously, where did he get that figure, Tooth thought absently. She cleared her throat and smoothed down some of her feathers before she spoke.

“Um…” brilliant, she thought. Eloquent as ever. What was wrong with her? She shouldn’t be having this much trouble talking to Pitch – she was a _lady_ damn it.

Pitch quirked a brow in…not concern, but almost like a silent inquiry – though it was a touch bit condensing. The fact he was still towering over her like a looming cobra over a mouse was quite disconcerting, but it also sent a thrill through her feathered body.

Quickly composing herself – or as much as she could while under that intense stare – Tooth cleared her throat before she spoke.

“You, ah, passed out, most likely from taxing yourself from the transformation and your condition.” She explained. 

Pitch frowned but considered this. It would make sense; the event itself was nothing but a very colorful blur, but he did remember something about heatstroke. And now that his head was much clearer, he wasn’t about to deny the possibility.

“And? What else?” he urged curtly. 

“Um, what else…well, you pretty much slept through your illness after that,” Tooth said with a shrug, “I was getting kind of worried, but you were doing fine despite how long you were out so I-”

“Wait,” Pitch cut in, “Just how long was I out?”

Tooth bit her lip and wrung her hands, unsure if she should answer straight up or not. Though judging by Pitch’s past history with impatience, she decided it might be best to just be blunt and honest. She could think of the consequences later. 

“Um, you’ve been asleep for about three days…” she said meekly, ducking her head slightly.

Pitch openly gaped at Tooth. Three days? He had slept for a whole _three days!?_

“Why didn’t you wake me!?” he snapped, his scales rising like hackles from his agitation.

“I tried! But you were completely out,” Tooth defended, “And even if I could wake you up, I wouldn’t have. You needed the rest…”

Pitch groaned and rubbed his temples in irritation. This whole thing was giving him a headache. _She_ was giving him a headache. _The whole world_ was giving him a headache! Now he just had to wait for the migraine to set in, and then his miserable life would be complete. 

The Boogeyman pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, “Alright…anything else I should know?”

“Um…” Tooth pushed her index fingers together meekly, “You are staying here until summer is over…?”

Pitch took a moment to contemplate if his hearing was playing tricks on him. He caught a vague sense of déjà vu when he scrutinized Toothiana and waited for the ‘I’m joking’ part of her sentence. It never came.

“…I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it was ‘what can I say to piss off the Boogeyman’ day.” Pitch sneered.

Tooth groaned to herself. He picked now of all times to be an immature diva? Really? Did he have no sense of decorum? She was only trying to help!

 _‘More like I’m blackmailing him…’_ she sighed. There was no helping it now.

“Pitch, listen, I know this is very…” the fairy paused to think of a good word.

“Tactless? Crude? Boorish? Unperceptive? STUPID?” Pitch crowed off.

“…I was just going to say odd, but sure, all those too…” Tooth deadpanned irritably, “But Pitch, it’s not like you can-what are you doing?”

“What does it look like? I’m _leaving._ ” Pitch snapped. The serpent then proceeded to slide unsteadily along the edge of the pool and towards the nearest shadow. 

“Wait, what!? No!” Tooth snapped, flitting over to hover alongside Pitch, “You can’t just leave! You’re recovering!”

“And I should care, why?” Pitch hissed, swaying slightly. He didn’t have time to acclimate to his body – he was going to hurt himself if he didn’t get out of there soon.

“You should care highly! And we made a deal!”

“I don’t recall such a thing,” Pitch growled, “But then again, even if I did, I still wouldn’t listen to you.”

Tooth’s face took on a very intense shade of red at this, and she resisted the urge to throw a fist at his mouth. Now was not the time to be throwing punches – he was obviously still weak, and even if he couldn’t fight back, she didn’t doubt that tail of his could be as deadly as it was comfy. In fact, in this form, he could just _sit on her_ , and it would be a done deal.

Clenching her hands into fists, Tooth flitted directly in front of Pitch, stopping him just as he was mere feet from a shadowed wall.

“Listen here, snake-boy, you’re _not_ leaving,” she snapped, “I did not sneak out of North’s Workshop, without telling anyone, and save your scaly hide, just to be ignored!”

Pitch scoffed, “Darling, I did not ask you to save me, I had everything under control!” he snapped.

“Oh right, I’m sure finding you sweating bullets and passed out on your bed meant you had everything ‘under control’.” The fairy queen said sarcastically.

Pitch growled at her, a rumbling snarl that reverberated down into his tail and caused his scales to ripple like waves. At any other time, the phenomena would have been fascinating – but right now, Tooth was starting to consider the possibility that he might now be able to eat birds. Big birds.

“Now listen here you harpy,” Pitch steadily rose up higher on his coils until he was sneering down his nose at Tooth, “I don’t give two rat’s asses about what you want, or what may have happened in my delirium. I am _leaving,_ and you _cannot_ stop me!”

The Tooth Fairy was far too stunned to retort. Never…in all her years, has she ever come across such a disgustingly rude person. And did he seriously just call her a _harpy!?_

“How _dare_ you…!” she rasped.

“Oh I dare just fine, darling,” Pitch sneered, “Now if you will excuse me, I think I hear a shadow calling my name.”

And with that, the Boogeyman slithered around the rage-paralyzed fairy and towards the shadows of the sheer wall. He approached the darkest shade before turning back to the still fuming fairy woman.

“As lovely as this has been, I must bid you adieu.” He sneered, placing a hand onto the shadow.

Nothing happened.

Brows raising, Pitch placed his other hand to the shaded wall. Again, nothing happened; he did not sink into the shadow. He frowned deeply and pressed harder into the wall, focusing on trying to mentally grasp onto the comforting darkness that should have whisked him away. But again, nothing was happening. No shadows were crawling over his form, no cooling shade embraced him like a silken blanket, no darkness whispered soothingly with a lover’s croon to him; nothing was happening!

“What in the-?”

“Tooth!”

Feathers and scales both rising in perfect succession, the two spirits veered and looked up into the high ceiling of Tooth Palace. An all too familiar sound of bells rung in the air, and not even a moment later its source flew right over the ravine. 

_‘Oh crap…’_ was their collective thought.

Pitch suddenly scowled and hissed at Tooth, “Did you summon them here?”

“What? NO!” Tooth hissed, “Why would I-!? Oh Moon, what are they doing here!?”

“I suppose it wouldn’t do with what you mentioned about sneaking out of the Pole, would it?” Pitch asked sarcastically.

Tooth felt a cold burden of realization drop into her gut at this. Unbelievable, she had been so distracted with the ill Boogeyman, she had completely forgotten to tell the others she was at her Palace! 

“Toothy!” they heard North bellow.

“Hey Tooth, where ya at, sheila!?” Now Bunny. Which meant that all of the Guardians were in that sleigh.

Pitch swore something foul under his breath and slammed his hands back into the shadows. But again, nothing was happening. What was going on? Why couldn’t he command the shadows anymore!? Was it his form? Was he still too weak? 

“What are you doing!?” Tooth hissed to him, “You need to hide!”

“I know that!” Pitch snapped, “My shadows are not responding!” 

Tooth fidgeted and paced in midair as she tried to think of someway to hide the Boogeyman. She bit her lip as she surveyed his serpentine body. This would be so much easier if he wasn’t so damn big now; he wouldn’t be able to hide in anything short of a bus! 

“Tooth!” Jack’s voice called from above. Pitch hissed and pressed as hard as he could into the shadowy wall just as a snowy head peeked over the edge of the ravine.

“There you are! Hey guys, I found her!” Jack called over his shoulder

“Damn it…!” Tooth’s head veered around the oasis frantically. This was not how she had planned things to go. If they found Pitch here, in his current form no less, they would tear him apart! He wouldn’t stand a chance in his weakened state!

 _‘Urgh! Why couldn’t he turn into something easier to hide? Like a squirrel, or a bird, or a fish, or-’_ Tooth gasped suddenly. Of course!

“Pitch!” The Boogeyman tensed when the fairy grabbed his arm and started tugging him back to the pool, “The water! You can hide in the water!”

“Are you mad? It won’t work! They’ll still see me!”

“Well we have to try!” she snapped, “Which do you honestly prefer? Hiding in the water, or taking your chances with four armed Guardians?”

“Four?” Pitch challenged with a raised brow.

“Urgh! Get in the water, _now!_ ” 

“And why should I even listen to you? Maybe I want to take my chances with the Guardians.” Pitch sneered, crossing his arms. Tooth felt like ripping her feathers out.

“Why are you being so damn stubborn!?” she snapped.

“Why are you getting so worked up?” Pitch asked in mock innocence, “What do I get out of listening to you?”

“You…!?” Tooth squeaked when she heard the sound of North’s sleigh landing on one of her plateaus. They didn’t have time for this! He was going to be found, and then they were going to ask just _why_ he was in Tooth Palace! 

_‘Can’t stay, can’t go, come on Tooth, THINK!’_ The fairy wrung her hands as she wracked her brain to think of something, _‘Come on, this is Pitch! What can I offer that’s good enough to get him to cooperate?’_

Tooth fidgeted as she looked around the oasis. Nothing there was giving her any help. She highly doubted Pitch would cooperate if she offered him meager jewels or gems, and like hell she would give him a child’s memories! She didn’t have anything he would want! She didn’t even know if he _liked_ anything.

Biting her lip, and growing more and more flustered by the second, Tooth’s gaze finally landed back on a smarmily smirking Pitch. His arms were crossed over his toned, lean chest, his tail swaying lazily in an almost mocking imitation of a swinging clock pendulum. Moon his scales were gorgeous…

 _‘Ugh! This is NOT the time to be drooling over his scales!’_ she thought, before her eyes widened. Scales…his scales! 

“Your scales!” she chirped. Pitch narrowed his eyes, his grin dropping to form into a thin line.

“What about them?” he growled.

“I-I’ll polish them!” Tooth stammered. If she couldn’t appeal to Pitch with items, she could at the very least try to appeal to his vanity. 

Pitch planted his fists on his hips, regarding the fairy queen with a quirked brow, “Oh really?”

“I’ll polish your scales for a week!” Tooth urged. Pitch scoffed.

“Six weeks.”

“What!?”

“You wanted me to stay here, darling,” Pitch purred, “If I’m going to be stuck here for a summer, the least you can do is be a good hostess and make me feel comfortable.”

“Comfort-!?”

“Tooth!”

“Urgh…!” Tooth was sure her feathers were starting to fall out, she was so damn frustrated.

“It’s either that, or we can spin a _lovely_ tale on how I got here, and why.” Pitch said, nonchalantly examining his nails, “Take it or leave it.”

“I-! You-!” Her wings flinched when she heard North’s boots stomping towards the edge of the ravine. She was out of time, she had to make a decision _now._

 _‘What’s six weeks of lost pride?’_ resisting the urge to scream, Tooth sagged with a deflating sigh.

“Fine.” She rasped, suddenly exhausted.

“It’s a deal then.” Pitch all but purred, as he reached out and grasped the fairy’s dainty hand in his own. Compared to her hands, his were absolutely massive, yet thin. 

With a bow of his head, and a gentleness Tooth didn’t think the Boogeyman possessed, he curled his spidery fingers around her own and brought her knuckles up to his chin. His warm, black lips pecked at her pale hand, a flash of fangs making her feathers fluff and quiver. He smirked when his lips left her knuckles and he released her hand.

“Have fun with the boys, darling.” He purred. 

Casting one last grin at the fairy woman, he took in a deep breath and slithered into the water. Using his tail as a rudder, he swam down to the bottom and coiled down into a cluster of dark rocks. They weren’t as dark as his scales, but it would have to do. Pitch clutched at a large rock to keep himself anchored to the pond floor, and waited.

Once she recovered from the initial shock, Tooth sighed in relief as Pitch vanished under the crystalline water. She could still see him, but he was completely indistinguishable under the ripples and shifting surface. He basically just looked like a cluster of big black rocks. 

_‘And not a moment too soon…’_ she thought.

Bunny was the first to reach the bottom of the ravine, followed by North, Jack, and Sandy. They all landed just on the other side of the pool, weapons drawn – really? Did they think she was being held hostage in her own home? Tooth was suddenly worried they’d see Pitch from their vantage point over the pool. Thankfully, when their eyes settled on her, they completely ignored the oasis and rushed towards the fairy queen.

“Tooth! Where have you been?” North bellowed.

“Yeah, we got worried when you up and vanished on us!” Jack added.

Sandy added in his own two cents with various frantic symbols conveying his own worry. Tooth wrung her hands and bit her lip, suddenly feeling guilty for worrying them so much.

“I’m so sorry you guys, but I…” she sighed, “I couldn’t just stay at the Pole forever! I had work to do.” She said. And it wasn’t a total lie either; she really did want to get work done, and she really couldn’t just stay cooped up in the Workshop infirmary. 

“Tooth, we know we were smothering you, but it was for your own good. And we are sorry if we pushed you away.” North said.

“I know, I know, but I just…” Tooth sighed, “I had…things…I needed to get done.”

“Like getting’ that missin’ tooth back?” Bunny accused, putting away his boomerang and standing with his arms crossed next to North.

Tooth felt her feathers ruffle, “For your information, I didn’t get the tooth back!” she snapped. She suddenly flinched as her own words sunk in.

 _‘Oh Moon, I forgot the tooth…!’_ Great, first she forgot to tell the others she left, and now she forgot to get that missing tooth back from Pitch’s lair, _‘Am I going to forget how to blink and fly at the same time now!?’_

Sighing in exasperation, Tooth rubbed her temples and gave the others a weary look, “Guys, really, I am _fine_. I’m sorry I flew off like that, and I know I should have said something, but I completely spaced it!”

The others glanced at one another meticulously as her words sunk in. It wasn’t like her own behavior was unheard of; they themselves would probably do the same thing in her position. And it wasn’t like she was hurt or anything – she was perfectly fine, and simply caught up in her work. They all knew how ‘flighty’ she was, and it wasn’t fair of them to expect her to simply lay around at their whim.

North sighed and sheathed his sabers, “We understand Tooth. We were just worried – we’ve been looking for you since yesterday.”

“Just yesterday?” Tooth asked carefully, trying to keep her annoyance out of her voice. Bunny gestured to Jack.

“Frostbite here was supposed to check on ya the day before yesterday,” an embarrassed look from Jack, “He got distracted by North’s new Snowball-Slinger.”*

“Snowball-Slinger…” Tooth repeated, deadpan. The others – sans Jack, who was grinning ear to ear – gave North weary looks.

“What? Is good invention! Children will love it!” he defended. Tooth sighed and rubbed her forehead. She was getting a headache from all of this.

 _‘Whoever said it was girls who made all the drama, should have their molars removed. Painfully.’_ She thought. Bunny gave her a slightly concerned look.

“Ya alright, Tooth?” he asked.

“Yeah, you look kind of…flustered.” Jack added, canting his head towards the fairy. 

Sandy waved a hand at her and formed a sand image of a bird sleeping in a nest, and a question mark. Tooth took a moment to process what he was asking, before it clicked in place. She waved a hand and gave them all a small smile.

“I’m fine, I’ve just been working a lot lately,” she said, “I actually just woke up from a nap a half hour ago.” Also true, but she wasn’t about to tell them where she slept.

A bubble then decided to break the surface of the water with a soft ‘pop’. Bunny’s ears perked and he swiftly veered around, frowning at the pool of water while Tooth bit the inside of her cheek. Oh dear Moon, she forgot about him! He didn’t need to breathe did he? Can’t snakes hold their breath for a long time?

“Um, anyways!” she exclaimed a bit loudly to catch the Pooka’s attention, “Why don’t you all head back out? I mean, not to be rude, but I got _lots_ of work to do, and now you all know I’m safe!”

Her hopeful smile was a bit exaggerated, but it seemed to reassure the boys. They all glanced at one another briefly before they steadily relaxed and focused back on the fairy woman.

“Alright Toothy, we will leave you to it,” North yielded, “But I want you to check in with one of us later, just to be safe, da?”

“Sure! No problem! I’ll check in with one of you in a couple days!” she was trying to rush them out as passively as possible. Another bubble broke the surface of the water, followed by a second, and a third.

“Alright, aright, we’ll get out of ya feathers.” Bunny held his paws up as the others turned to leave. 

The Pooka paused, however, when he walked beside the pool’s edge. His green eyes narrowed as he stared down into it. He hummed to himself as he stared at the black mass resting at the bottom of the otherwise mostly blue oasis. Tooth felt frozen to the spot, staring wide eyed, as Bunny scrutinized the water and whatever was at its bottom.

The Pooka chuffed a breath through his nose before straightening. He gave the fairy one last glance and a nod, before he thumped his foot, and vanished down a tunnel. 

Tooth waited a full five seconds before she flitted over to the pool and kneeled at its edge.

“Pitch? Pitch!” she called, “A-are you okay?”

A sudden cloud of bubbles erupted from the surface as the black mass roiled and writhed. Tooth yelped and leaped back onto her rear as the Boogeyman broke the surface with a large splash, a loud gasp straining the air around them. Tooth watched the Boogeyman gasp and pant as his torso flopped onto the shore, his back heaving with each breath he desperately tried to drag into his strained lungs. His eyes were wide, his hair soaked and plastered to his face in short, wild tendrils. He coughed briefly before groaning and shooting a weary glare at the fairy.

“Took your time, didn’t you?” he rasped.

“What? H-how was I supposed to know you needed to breathe?” Tooth asked, “I didn’t even know you _had_ to breathe.”

“I don’t, normally,” Pitch coughed, blowing a wet lock of hair from his face, “But when I transform into this, I have to adopt a few ‘mortal’ traits. It takes a lot of magic to hold this form after all…”

“Wait, so…” Tooth frowned slightly as she shifted to sit on her knees, “You’re mortal now?”

“Only partly,” Pitch elaborated, “Not that you should care, but I require oxygen, food, water, sleep, and shockingly, sunlight now. I don’t have mortal human needs, I have _mortal snake_ needs.”

Tooth blinked her amethyst eyes in shock at the new information. It made sense though; shape-shifting was a natural trait to Pitch, but it didn’t mean it was easy or came cheap. The few other shape-shifters Tooth has ever talked to or inquired about often said their powers were taxing, and that was just to change their appearance. It was one thing to change one’s shape and form, it was a whole other level of shape-shifting to change and not gain traits from whatever it is you transform into. In this case, Pitch’s form was somewhat symbiotic; he can use it to survive the heat and direct sunlight – or so she assumed – but in exchange, he had to adapt to a more ‘mortal’ lifestyle.

“I’m guessing it’s a bit of a hassle?” she inquired. Pitch snorted.

“It is,” he said, folding his arms on the shore to rest his head on his forearms, “I am not used to eating or drinking, let alone breathing.”

“Well it can’t be all bad, I mean, you eat sometimes even before this, right?” Tooth asked.

Pitch didn’t respond immediately, instead opting to watch a small bug craw along a blade of grass.

“For your information, I don’t eat regularly like you high-class Guardians,” he hissed, “I can’t go out and get food for myself as a luxury, nor can I send Nightmares to get any for myself. It’s too dangerous.”

“Dangerous? How? Who would hurt you-” Tooth paused while Pitch gave her a condescending look. Oh…oh, well then…this just got awkward.

“Um…” she started, hoping to break the tension between them, “So…how does breakfast sound?”

The fairy felt herself cringe at her overly eager words. Pitch was also looking at her strangely, which did nothing in easing her silent embarrassment. He didn’t say anything, so the fairy took her chances. She hovered back into the air and cleared his throat.

“So, right! Breakfast! I’ll, uh, get on that now,” she said, “You uh…just…make yourself at home?”

“Is that a question or an invitation?” Pitch deadpanned, deftly trying to get his hair back into its trademark crested sweep.

“…just stay here, don’t harass my fairies, and please don’t touch any of the teeth.” Tooth didn’t give the Boogeyman time to respond with a snarky remark, as she zipped by him and up past the edge of the ravine. To where, he could only guess. He didn’t know if the fairy had a kitchen or food faculty…

Sighing, Pitch opted to stay in the water for a bit longer. He was tired as hell, and he did not feel like hauling a few hundred pounds of waterlogged scales out of the pool. The Boogeyman yawned widely, his jaw popping and sharp fangs clicking. 

Pitch shut his eyes and rested his head back in his arms. Maybe he could get in a few more hours of sleep before that upstart fairy comes back…

 _“Chirp!”_ Pitch yelped when something pricked his forehead. Recoiling, he hissed as his eyes settled on his new assailant. 

Baby Tooth, with her arms crossed, was giving the Boogeyman the best stink eye a fairy her size could conceive. She chirped shrilly at him, and he scoffed.

“Go away, runt…” he grunted, putting his head back in his arms and shutting his eyes.

Another prick, this time to the back of his neck, caused him to jump and his scales to rise in aggravation. He hissed at the fairy, and she hissed shrilly right back. Pitch sighed in exhaustion.

Looks like he wasn’t going to be sleeping the time away…

To be continued…


	8. Chapter 8

Despite what others might think, Tooth and her fairies didn’t just run on bird-seed or ‘tooth-power’, as Jack once so eloquently stated. True, spirits didn’t _need_ to eat, but it was a good idea to keep to a decent diet. Food wasn’t just something that cured hunger; it was what gave people energy and stamina. Plus, it was a nice luxury too; not even spirits were safe from the occasional craving or two, and don’t even get Tooth started on a spirit’s sweet-tooth.

And like what she represented, Tooth and her fairies needed a lot of energy to work. She and her fairies traveled all around the globe nightly and daily. That kind of energy isn’t something one can just pull out of nowhere. And despite what others may think, Tooth and her fairies lived on a high sugar diet – _natural_ sugar, thank you.

Case in point, lots of fruits and nectar extracts. But again, this did not mean Tooth didn’t have her own guilty-pleasure foods, or favorites. She was actually a big fan of curry and various Asian dishes. This also meant she did, in fact, have a kitchen in her Palace. 

The kitchen itself was tucked away in an alcove between two of the hanging towers. And like the rest of the palace, it was a busy and bustling area.

“Hey girls!” she greeted cheerfully, as she always does.

A chorus of chirps and excitedly buzzing wings greeted her back, before the army of fairies politely returned to their own work. Said work mostly consisted of prepping nectar extractors and various steeping and boiling devises – all courtesy of North. Bunny once remarked it was like a small tea-making factory, but in place of tea was the sugary extracts of various flowers and selective fruits.

But this was just one side of the kitchen. The other side, a smaller adjoining room, led to her personal kitchen where she kept other foods and the more desired treats for her fairies. 

Tooth steadily made her way across the room where the destined door lay. Various fairies would break off from their job and bring her teaspoons of freshly made nectars to sample. She politely declined them though, stating that she was making a late breakfast for herself and a guest.

At the word ‘guest’, various feathered heads turned to her in silent inquiry. Tooth bit her lip and immediately wished she had kept her suddenly overactive mouth shut. She had no idea what she was going to tell them! And like every other time they had a guest, they would want to meet them.

An inquisitive chirp from one of her ‘chefs’ drew her attention, and she smiled somewhat nervously.

“Yes, we have a guest here who will be staying with us for the summer.” She said evenly.

Excited chirps and hums met her ears, and multiple questions rang in the room from her fairies. Who was the guest? Have they met them before? Do they drink nectar like us? Are they pretty? Handsome? Do they like teeth?

“Ah, girls, girls! One at a time!” Tooth placated calmly, but internally, she was starting to become slightly frantic. How could she forget to tell her girls about Pitch? Better yet, how was she going to tell them?

Clearing her throat, Tooth’s organized yet flighty brain ultimately landed on a decision. It was really the only option she had, and quite frankly, the quickest and cleanest.

“Listen, right now, our guest is a bit sick and needs some space,” she started. She winced when worried and saddened chirps met her ears, along with suggestions on what to feed their guest if he was so ill, “He’s not fatally ill or anything, just a bit under the weather. He’ll recover on his own, but in the meantime, I need you all to promise not to go out of your way to see him, okay? He’s a very…private…spirit, and easily startled.”

Ye gods, it was painful lying to her fairies like this! But then again, her words weren’t complete lies; Pitch was, in fact, still a bit under the weather and weak. She was pretty sure Pitch was indeed a private person, if his reaction to her seeing his new form was anything to go by. Now whether he was easily startled or not was more of a debatable thing than a lie; the Boogeyman was disturbingly paranoid and shifty. Ironic, considering his job and powers…

Again, more looks were shared between the now quietly chirping mini-fairies. Tooth gave them all a moment to let the information sink in, and sincerely hoped they wouldn’t fall into the –shockingly – large gossip mill that seemed to silently circulate through her palace.

A beat passed before Tooth cleared her throat and caught her workers’ attention again.

“So that being said, you will get to see him in a couple days at best,” she said, internally debating if this was also a lie, or if she was actually going to reveal that Pitch was in her palace, “So until then, just carry on!”

Not even sparring a second to let her words sink in, Tooth turned and quickly flitted into her personal kitchen. She swiftly closed the door behind her none too gently, and released an exasperated breath of exhaustion and relief. Her feet touched the floor and she slumped against the door with a low groan.

 _‘Moon, how do people do this on a daily basis?’_ she wondered. She knew lying wasn’t exactly a bad thing at a controlled base level – it was needed sometimes. Hell, she and the Guardians were categorized as ‘lies’ told by adults.

Tooth blinked at this sudden realization and thumped her forehead on the door. Of all the days to realize her belief was built on – what adults believed to be – lies. Suddenly Tooth’s usual bubbling energy has plunged through the floor. And sleeping was looking like a very appealing thing right now.

 _‘No, I can mope later. For now, I just need to get through the day, feed Pitch, and then…’_ And then what? She had no idea what she was going to do the next day – aside from work obviously.

The fairy queen shook these thoughts off though and pushed off of the door. She could think about plans later, but for now, she had to make breakfast. She paused, however, when a sudden thought occurred to her then.

What did Pitch even like to eat?

The question, while innocent and rather flippant, sent Tooth through a mental loop that caused her to deflate and plant her palms over her face. 

“Oh come on…!” she whined. 

Unbelievable; she didn’t even ask Pitch what he wanted! Wait, but didn’t he say he hadn’t eaten since…a very long time? He didn’t eat, he had said. She couldn’t imagine a completely fasted life – she enjoyed simple foods as much as the other Guardians. But then again, Jack also once said he rarely ate as well; he would need to steal food if he wanted to eat, and never liked doing so if he could help it. Though this was prior to him becoming a Guardian. Now for him it was a game of trying to play ‘get away before North shoves more cookies down my throat’. 

But Pitch…

“Come on Tooth, what would someone like Pitch eat…?” she muttered, ‘ _Children perhaps?’_ a more cynical side of her brain asked. She pointedly ignored it and instead flitted to the cupboards and cabinets to see if she could get any inspiration from their contents.

So far, nothing was really standing out. Tooth only kept foods _she_ liked in her kitchen. And the majority of it was very healthy food, and almost no forms of meat – she had some fish in her icebox, but other than that, no meat. And what kind of snake – spirit or otherwise – would choose a damn fruit salad over meat? 

Tooth groaned to herself as she once again unveiled nothing helpful in her endeavor. Screw it, she thought. Pitch was still…well, Pitch, from the waist down. She doubted his diet would change so much that he would start eating mice.

Tooth never felt so grateful that her European Division wasn’t stationed in her palace…

In the end, Tooth gathered a sort of platter of various, simple foods for the Boogeyman to choose from. Sliced and whole fruits, various types of breads – sweet and plain – with some simple vegetables, and after finding a box hidden in the back of her pantry, a small bowl of oatmeal as an afterthought. She also brewed up some Chamomile tea for them; Pitch had always struck her as a tea drinker, or maybe she was being stereotypical. On the off chance he didn’t like it, Tooth also set a glass of water alongside the tea. 

And looking at it, Tooth had to mentally concur the set up did look pretty good, even if thinking of it didn’t seem too appetizing. It was a start, to say the least. 

Now all she had to do was bring it to Pitch and hope he didn’t demand a few of her fairies as an appetizer…

Hefting the wide tray by the handles, Tooth steadily flew out of her kitchen, past the other kitchen workers, and out into the wide cavern of her palace. A few passing fairies gave her odd looks as the petite woman awkwardly maneuvered down into the ravines. More than once, Tooth nearly lost the glasses containing liquid, or had a round fruit nearly roll right off the tray. But once she was hovering over the ravine, she had an easy time just letting herself cruise into a steady descent. 

And as she made her descent, various questions flitted through her mind.

 _‘What am I going to tell the girls? Or the other Guardians if they find out?’_ she thought, _‘I can’t keep him down here forever, but how would I get him up to a room? He’s huge now and can’t use his powers…’_

These were her main worries right now, and her brain was trying to work out scenarios for all of them. Telling her fairies would not be fun, but they were loyal enough to keep it secret from the Guardians – though she worried about Baby Tooth telling Jack. And trying to get Pitch up into a guest room was virtually impossible at this point. His powers were obviously on the fritz, and again, he was _huge!_ There was no way she could just fly him out in his current form, and she wasn’t going to ask him to change back to a biped to move him. So for now, until he was stronger or they could work something out, he would have to stay in the ravine.

And as for the Guardians…

 _‘Cross that bridge when we get there, Tooth…’_ she told herself.

A few more wing beats later, the fairy queen touched down onto the ravine’s floor just a few paces from the oasis. She shifted her hold on the food tray and hovered over to where she left Pitch.

“Pitch, I wasn’t sure what you would like, so I kind of just brought you a bit of every…” Tooth’s words died on her lips as she took in the scene before her. She didn’t really know what to make of it.

“Oh FINALLY! Toothiana! Get your little runts off of me right now!” Pitch snarled.

The Boogeyman was…Tooth was unsure what to call what she was seeing. Being assaulted? Probed? Tickled?*

No, clearly she was seeing a small battalion of her fairies – how did they get down here!? – swarming Pitch. Or more specifically, his scales. The dozen fairies were positively crooning over them, their tiny hands running over the various colored and obsidian scales in infatuated fascination. And each tiny, fluttering touch was sending startled shudders and jerks through the Boogeyman’s serpentine body. Try as he might, no matter how much he swatted or brushed them off, the mini-fairies just kept coming back with wide-eyed adoration as they took in the gemlike arrows that made up Pitch’s lower body. The only one who seemed to be trying to correct the situation was Baby Tooth, who was flitting above Pitch’s head and shrieking none too polite chastising to her fellow fairies, to no avail. 

Tooth blinked owlishly as she stared. As surprised as she was, she couldn’t fight down this other feeling of…annoyance? Contempt? _Jealousy?_

 _‘Why would I be jealous!?’_ her feathers puffed and ruffled from the mere thought. So her fairies – who somehow found Pitch and were not trying to peck his eyes out – were touching his scales. There was no need for jealousy!

“Girls!” She snapped, setting the tray down on a flat rock by the oasis, “Get off of him this instant!”

Almost instantly, the mini-fairies parted – though reluctantly – from the Boogeyman and sulkily flew to their queen. The fairies looked like chastised children about to be scolded. 

Planting her fists on her hips, Tooth fixed them with a disapproving look, “Now then, why are you all down here, and why were you harassing Pitch?”

Not that she can so much call it harassing as opposed to possibly ‘feeling up’. That small pit of agitation – _not jealousy_ ¬ – welled up again, before Tooth shoved it back down. 

The mini-fairies all curled in on themselves nervously, knowing they possibly upset their queen. But it wasn’t like _they_ should be taking the blame…

One of the fairies chirped, gaining Tooth’s attention, before diving into a brief explanation of how they came to find Pitch. Tooth blinked in surprise as the fairy ‘spoke’. Apparently a certain heterochromatic eyed fairy had gathered them to help ‘welcome’ Pitch to the palace, and they had been all too eager to help ruffle up the man who put them in cages. But when they first laid eyes on the Naga-formed Boogeyman, their priorities switched from harassment, to admiration for his scales. 

It seemed the infatuation extended even to Tooth’s helpers, unfortunately. Sans Baby Tooth, interestingly enough.

The mentioned fairy balked and fluffed up indignantly and screeched at her tattler. And not too soon, more angry chirps erupted from the little group of fairies, all of whom were arguing with one another in a mish-mash of arguments, accusations, and somewhere in there, Tooth briefly heard a debate on whether or not purple scales were prettier than red. 

“And I thought I had problems with my minions…”

Tooth veered her head over to the rather irritable looking Boogeyman, his lean arms crossed over his chest. His brow had acquired an interesting twitch that seemed to coincide with the more higher chirps of the fairies. No doubt their shrill chirps were assaulting his higher senses with sound and color; he was probably overwhelmed and frustrated, as well as in pain and weak. Not a good thing for the Boogeyman, or Tooth for that matter.

“They are not _minions_ ,” She corrected irritably yet patiently, “They’re my helpers, not animals.”

“Could have fooled me.” Pitch groused, absently brushing a stray feather that had landed on his coils during his assault.

Tooth groaned and looked back at her arguing fairies. She certainly hoped that he was only acting like a grouch because he was hungry, and not because he felt like it. Though, knowing Pitch, he probably just acted difficult because he gained some kind of amusement from ruffling her feathers.

“GIRLS!” she yelled, instantly catching their wide-eyed attention. Drawing herself up, Tooth crossed her arms and frowned at them.

“That is enough, I don’t care who led who, or who said what,” she started, “You all came down here when you’re not supposed to, and with the intention of bring harm to Pitch-”

“Oh please, they can’t even beat up a rat, let alone me.” Pitch hissed, causing Baby Tooth to puff up and sneer at him.

“You’re not helping, Pitch,” Tooth growled, before turning back to her fairies, “And although you didn’t do anything to him, you still came down here with bad intentions. And I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to put you all on vault-duty.”

A dozen or so protesting squeaks reached her ears at this, which was to be highly expected. Vault-duty consisted of a lot of counting and taking inventory of complete sets of teeth locked up in the vaults. The job itself was basically just making sure all the capsules were not broken or about to break, making sure all the teeth were present, and just generally a lot of boring counting. Every fairy in Tooth Palace _despised_ vault-duty; not even Tooth liked doing it!

“Don’t whine, girls, you knew this would happen if you got caught,” Tooth scolded, “You shouldn’t have listened to Baby Tooth, you know better.”

Speaking of which…

Off to her left, Tooth could see her mischievous little helper about to make a break for freedom. She was about to reach out and snag the little fairy up, but was stopped when an ashen grey hand shot out and grabbed the mini-fairy by her wings. Pitch brought her up to eye level, but kept her far enough from his face so as not to risk her pecking his eye out.

“Not so fast, sprite,” he crooned, “We have yet to settle our little ‘disagreement’.”

“Pitch, put her down.” Tooth said warningly, the other fairies watching on in fright and curiosity.

“You know Miss Toothiana, despite my being part snake now, I have yet to figure out what a bird tastes like,” his dark lips peeled back in a fang-filled sneer, his serpentine tongue flicking out dangerously, “Perhaps now I shall get my chance. I hear your fairies taste like _chicken._ ”

A chorus of shrieks was heard at his words, and the group of fairies fled as fast as they could to the safety of the vaults. Tooth openly gaped at him, while Baby Tooth seemed to double her efforts to escape the psychopath that was _going to eat her!_

Chuckling, Pitch tipped his head back and dangling the fairy over his open mouth. Baby Tooth shrieked in terror as she struggled to free herself. She squeaked as that overly long, forked tongue poked at her tiny feet, and Tooth finally snapped out of her stupor.

“Pitch Black, you put her down RIGHT NOW!” she snarled, feathers puffing up aggressively.

Pitch suddenly chuckled and looked over at Tooth, “Oh would you relax? I am not going to eat your little upstart minion.”

As if to prove his point, Pitch lowered the fairy down onto the ground and released her wings. Baby Tooth fell into a shivering ball onto the grass as she stared wide-eyed out into nothing. A moment passed before she seemed to regain herself, and scrambled up to fly into Tooth’s waiting hands where she continued to shiver, but also glare spitefully at the amused Boogeyman.

Tooth, however, was not the least bit amused.

“If you think for even a second that you can get away with eating one of my fairies-”

“I said relax, I’m not going to eat anyone,” Pitch scoffed, crossing his arms, “I can’t stomach anything with feathers, and small birds in particular give me indigestion.”

Again, Tooth found herself gaping at Pitch in terror, “Pitch…oh Moon, did you _eat_ one of my-”

“No! I experimented on dietary options _years_ ago on _normal_ animals!” Pitch snapped, “Honestly, I may be an evil, manipulative and sadistic son of a bitch, but I wouldn’t eat a sentient being! Even if it is an irritating puff-ball!”

“You…ate…birds?” Tooth rasped, still slightly disbelieving. Pitch rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation.

“Yes, they were already dead though,” he said, “And you’ll be happy to know the experiment failed, as despite my appearance, I cannot digest anything that isn’t cooked; I was coughing up feathers for two weeks!” he exclaimed, before he frowned.

“Much to my dismay, I seem to have a rat problem in the lower parts of my lair…” he muttered darkly as an afterthought.

 _‘You don’t say…’_ Tooth thought. She seemed to calm down slightly, though was still unsure. On one hand, he could be lying and just waiting for her to turn her back so he could gobble up a whole troop of her fairies. But on the other, he really didn’t eat birds and rodents, and was just trying to scare her.

…she was going to go out on a limb and say it was the latter. It was _Pitch_ after all.

“Now then, I do believe your little pom-pom is awaiting punishment?” Pitch said, gesturing to the now calm, though still flustered, Baby Tooth.

“Um, r-right.” He had a point. Baby Tooth brought her other fairies along to harass the Boogeyman, and she couldn’t get off the hook just because she nearly had her feathers scared off of her.

The queen took a moment to try and figure out what kind of punishment would be best for Baby Tooth. She couldn’t let her go off to her friends to possibly come up with some other plan of annoying Pitch. She could not be left alone, otherwise she’d just go out and see Jack again, and maybe bring him over to confront Pitch.

“…Baby Tooth, for the next two weeks, you are not allowed to see Jack.” She said.

A tiny jaw dropped in utter horror. Baby Tooth was about to protest, but Tooth held up her free hand.

“No buts, it’s a fair punishment,” she said, “And to make sure you don’t sneak off, you are going to be helping me polish Pitch’s scales, and you will not be allowed out of my sight until your punishment is over.”

Baby Tooth practically deflated, before averting her heterochromatic eyes to Pitch. The Boogeyman shot her a smug smirk and flashed his fangs at her. Baby Tooth merely puffed up and hissed at Pitch, crossing her arms and plopping down onto Tooth’s hand in a huff. She chirped up at Tooth irritably.

“Good girl,” Tooth said, setting the fairy down on a small rock, “Now behave yourself, and we’ll talk after we eat.”

So saying, the fairy queen shot Pitch a warning look, before turning and picking the tray of food back up again. She set it down in the middle of their little group on a flat rock, before sitting down on her knees in front of them.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just brought a bit of everything.” She said, picking out a mango for herself.

Pitch didn’t make any comment, and instead opted to arranging his coils in a way that allowed him to sit comfortably on a thicker section. He took one of the cups of tea and a plain roll. Baby Tooth took a small apricot for herself, and the group lapsed into silence as they ate. 

_‘Well this isn’t at all awkward…’_ Tooth thought as she tentatively nibbled on her mango.

She eyed Pitch across from her as he ate, and couldn’t help but mentally comment how he ate like a bird. Ironic, all things considered, but he was just as posh as he sometimes made himself out to be. He only took small nibbles of the bread he had, but drank deeply from the tea. He was almost hesitant in his eating; did he think she poisoned it?

Pitch seemed to sense her staring, as his amber gaze suddenly flicked over to lock onto her amethyst eyes. She flushed and jerked slightly before averting her gaze and shoving a large chunk of mango into her mouth. 

“It’s rude to stare when one is eating, you know.” He muttered lowly. Tooth swallowed the mango and cleared her throat politely.

“It’s not really nice to threaten to eat a fairy either…” she said.

“I never said I was _nice._ ” He spit the word like it was acid on his tongue. Rather violently, he bit into his roll before setting the remains back on the tray. He downed the rest of his tea before setting the cup aside. He slipped a thinner section of his tail onto his lap and started picking grass and loose feathers out of his scales.

Tooth eyed the half eaten roll with a quirked brow, as if waiting for Pitch to reach out and claim it again, or eat something else. A full minute and a half passed before she realized he wasn’t going to be eating anymore.

“Did you, uh, get enough…?” she asked carefully. Pitch narrowed his eyes at her.

“What?” he inquired darkly.

Tooth raised both brows at this, “I mean, you didn’t eat much. If there’s something more specific you want, I can-”

“Toothiana, you need to keep in mind that I haven’t had a decent meal in quite some time,” Pitch sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “The last thing I ate was a handful of fruit last week. I’m not picky, but unless you want me to start purging like a hung-over teenager, you will respect that I cannot simply stuff myself without consequence.”

Almost at once, Tooth and Baby Tooth both found themselves staring owlishly at Pitch. It seemed to take a moment, but when his words sunk in, Tooth suddenly found her own appetite had been lost. Pitch wasn’t eating much because he didn’t want to, but because he couldn’t. He likely had the metabolism of an anorexic human, and therefore could not risk eating too much unless he wanted to risk becoming sick. She never would have guessed his body was in such a fragile state; he certainly didn’t _look_ like he wasn’t eating. But then again, he was skilled at illusions and shape-shifting. Tooth wondered if the fit body she was seeing now was just an illusion or glamour. 

Setting her half eaten mango aside, Tooth folded her hands carefully in her lap and gazed tentatively over at Pitch.

“Are you really so against running into the Guardians and I, that you just stopped eating?” she asked softly, hoping she didn’t sound accusing.

Pitch sneered at her, “Believe it or not, even I can get rather tired of coming home with a few cuts, bruises, and the occasional broken bone. I don’t need to eat, so there is little to no point in me risking my physical wellbeing for a snack.”

Tooth bit into her lower lip, “And your…Nightmares…can’t just bring you anything?”

A scoff, “Darling, my Nightmares are not like your fairies, or North’s Yeti. While they are sentient like your little minions, they are wilder,” he growled, “I’m not strong or powerful enough to command them properly. I can only ask them to do something for me – and don’t even get me started on my Fearlings. The only reason I was able to command them so well during my attempt at a take-over was because I promised them an abundance of dreams to feed on, and at the time, I was powerful enough to keep a tight leash on them indefinitely.”

Pitch suddenly glared brimstone at the fairy queen, his scales rising like hackles in contained rage. 

“But _clearly_ that didn’t work out, and so they demanded their payment out of my hide. The end.” That being said, he suddenly unraveled his coils and ‘stood’ up. He turned and slithered for the shade clinging to the sheer wall of the ravine.

“I am tired,” he said, “Enjoy your breakfast. And keep your little thorn away from me.” With that, he curled up in a circular pile under the shade and made himself a comfortable, scaly nest of which his torso seemed to vanish into.

A long moment of tense, awkward silence passed between the two occupants left in front of the colorful food tray. It wasn’t until the pile of scales was steadily pulsing with each steady, sleep induced breath the Boogeyman took, that Tooth looked over at Baby Tooth in concern. The mini-fairy only gave her an uncertain look and picked at the skin of her apricot. Tooth was inclined to agree and eyed the still rather full tray in disinterest.

She wasn’t very hungry anymore… 

Hours after the rather informative breakfast, Tooth found herself up on her trademark plateau giving directions to fairies. Baby Tooth was by her side and distributing other directions and smaller orders; though she wasn’t exactly enjoying it. Though this was the point after all – you’re not supposed to enjoy your punishment.

A small lull worked over the teaming fairies and their queen, and the fairy woman took the opportunity to check the clock she kept on the floor by her feet. She was both a bit shocked yet apathetic to the time she read.

5:45pm. She had been working and left Pitch alone for nearly six and a half hours!? How was her palace still standing!?

 _‘Damn it…’_ she thought. She looked to the troop of fairies awaiting orders.

“Ah, right! For now, stick to the south of America, and the mid-east of Canada,” she said, “I need to go check up on something. Baby Tooth, come on!” 

The named mini-fairy happily abandoned her post and flitted after her queen. The two fairies flew down past the hanging towers that made up the palace, and towards a familiar ravine, all of which had become much darker with the coming dusk. It made Tooth wonder if maybe Pitch had left, if he had finally regained his powers. The thought sent a small pang of hurt through her chest.

 _‘Wait, why would I be upset that he left?’_ she didn’t even know if he actually left. But then again, why stick around if he did in fact regain his powers?

Hovering to a stop over a familiar poor of crystalline water, Tooth looked around the darkened ravine. She frowned as her more sun-adept eyes tried to adjust to the darkness; Baby Tooth didn’t seem to be having any problems with the dark though. Tooth was slightly disappointed to know that even with her being out in the field more, her eyes had yet to fully adjust to the dark as quickly as her helper’s.

Baby Tooth suddenly chirped and tugged at her queen’s hand, pointing frantically to a small alcove of rocks and a lone standing tree by the water. Frowning, Tooth hovered over and peaked over the cluster of rocks – which, it turned out, weren’t rocks, but a familiar Boogeyman’s coils.

A hand flew to Tooth’s mouth as she clamped her mouth down with a grin. 

Pitch was, shockingly, still asleep and curled up in the mounds of scales like a child in a nest of blankets in winter. His breathing, unlike before where it was short and strategically drawn out, was calm and deep, raising his breast in a slow and even tandem. But as relaxed as he was now, it seemed to highlight things about Pitch Tooth never noticed.

She had originally thought Pitch was in rather great shape. But seeing him now, his muscles relaxed and body unguarded, she could now see just how _thin_ he was. His ribs were prominent, and she could see the ridges of his spine in his curled up position. His face, now lacking its usual scowl, was loosened and missing its usual tension lines, but also revealing sunken cheeks and pitted eyes. She could clearly see the tendons in his neck flexing with each breath he took, and only now seemed to notice a slight stutter with each intake of air he took. It was as if he was hesitant in his breathing, scared…

Tooth drifted down onto her knees before the exhausted Boogeyman. Hesitantly, she reached out and brushed her fingers against a hollowed cheek. He did not wake or move, but rather he seemed to tense up. And lo and behold, there sleeping now was that imposing, scowling Boogeyman Tooth knew all too well…

Or perhaps not.

The fairy queen stared at the suddenly tense and posturized Boogeyman, her hand still resting on a now clenched jaw. Was this what she kept seeing when he was awake? Just this bristling, defensive thing? Was she seeing not Pitch, but a frightened, beaten animal trying to make itself seem bigger and unafraid? Was she simply seeing someone frightened for their life?

_Show no weakness, no fear…_

Tooth’s hand softened against his cheek and gently traced over the shell of his ear. A swell of hurt filled her stomach as she watched him only tense further. It was so much like watching a cornered animal try to defend itself. You would never know it was trying to protect itself; you would only see a rabid animal that needed to be put down.

_“Fight, or flight!”_

Tooth shuddered as those once long forgotten words filled her head. That was…so long ago. Pitch had changed since then; they all had changed! 

Or…did they really…?

 _‘Oh Pitch…’_ the fairy queen retracted her hand when it became apparent that her seemingly comforting touches were not going to help relax him in any way, even in his sleep. 

It made her wonder; was he always so defensive? So…scared? Was this what they reduced him to that fateful day? Or was this just an all new low from their recent battle? Either way it seemed to only add onto the feeling of cold emotion pooling in her belly.

A soft chirp and a tiny hand to her shoulder brought Tooth back to herself. She turned her head slightly and saw Baby Tooth, her expression concerned and understanding, hovering beside her shoulder. Tooth gave her a pained smile.

“I’m fine, Baby Tooth.” She said, turning her attention back to Pitch. She sighed.

She only wished she could say the same for the Boogeyman.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who caught the Rufftoon comic reference? XD


	9. Chapter 9

Sleep was, in the overall long-run, both a luxury and a danger to someone like Pitch. 

Granted, like most people, he enjoyed the prospect of sleep. Sleep meant relaxation, a way to unwind, and just pass the time in some cases. It just felt good, to both mortal and immortals. But the fact remained that Pitch’s perception of sleep was a bit lopsided. It was both something he loved, and something he hated.

To him, sleep meant nightmares, night terrors, and physical pain if his own fears intensified enough to hot-wire his powers. Nightmares were not just _nightmares_ to Pitch. If his nightmares were intense enough, his own powers would rebel and give physical form to whatever macabre dream he was having. This has often led to him waking up in his own blood, and sometimes bound in chains or about to be mauled by some other physical manifestation his own mind came up with.

But on the other hand, there are those very few, very rare, times where he can have a somewhat fitful sleep. It all really depended not on Pitch himself, but on the mood of his Nightmares and wayward Fearlings. If his Nightmares were in a good mood and had a good feasting the night prior, they leave him alone, let him sleep, and can even be quite complacent – most of the time. Sometimes they are just in such giddy moods, they will invade his dreams and come up with some sadistic dream that didn’t leave Pitch himself feeling too great. But if they were hungry, upset, or restless, Pitch would either need to postpone any form of sleep for at least a month to a couple weeks, or risk injury to himself.

His Nightmares were as finicky and moody as most teenagers – couple that with a few specks of the pre-determined pieces of Pitch’s own personality in them, and you get a cocktail for some seriously volatile sand-specters.

This being said, this would be the first time Pitch has woken up from a _natural_ sleep – no prompting from a Nightmare, pain, overly zealous Fearlings, or anything. This was the first time in quite a few centuries that he has woken up, languid and slow, relaxed and lazily, from a completely dreamless, full sleep.

And it felt… _strange._

 _‘This is the first time I have awoken without any pain or terror, and I find it not good, but STRANGE?’_ the groggy Boogeyman wondered. Have his personal standards really fallen so low? 

Pitch groaned sleepily and shifted, curling up onto his other side. He was still tired and in that much loved and hated half-awake half-asleep zone. He wanted to go back to sleep, but found his body and mind unable to fully settle. Not just because he was restless, but because he shouldn’t. Now was not the time to be letting his guard down – it was bad enough he actually fell asleep when he had no intentions of doing so last night, despite his words to Tooth.

A frown creased his brow, and he flexed his fingers over the soft, smooth surface he found himself on. His fingertips dug into scales, and he could feel his coils tightening around his torso as his body slowly woke up. He could faintly smell the more tropical aroma of the jungle around the palace, and he could hear the faint twitter of Mini-fairies hard at work.

Not a twisted dream then…

 _‘Of course…’_ why would his Nightmares ever feel so… _sadistically merciful_ enough to give him a questionable nightmare about being in Tooth Palace?

He groaned again, this time painfully. His whole body ached and tingled uncomfortably. He could feel various muscles twitching spastically under his skin, and a familiar pang in his belly chased off any chances of sleep. He curled in on himself more, his creaking bones protesting, and sighed. You’d think he’d be used to this by now…

A sudden prickling in his side made Pitch hiss and tense. Damn these cramps, why did he have to wake up to them after such a peaceful sleep?

Another prickling sensation, and this time it felt almost like it wasn’t from an overly tense muscle or his shrunken stomach making loud protests. It almost felt like…

Pitch cracked an eye open and looked down towards his hip. Being on his side, he could vaguely see the swell of his right hip, and beyond that, mounds of his scaled tail. And just above his hip, along his waist, he could see the culprit to what he thought was a cramp in his side.

The Mini-fairy – no, Mini- _fairie_ s – were meticulously hovering over his lower torso and probing and tugging at a few of the much smaller scales lining his hips and lower waist. Most of the scales there were colored, and each of the fairies seemed to find an individual scale they were fixated on. And if it wasn’t for the fact that they all looked the same, Pitch would bet they were the same fairies that Baby Tooth had gotten to harass him the previous day.

 _‘Perhaps I can take my chances and see if they DO taste like chicken…’_ he thought. But then he reconsidered once flashbacks of the last time he tried his luck at eating raw animals came to mind. As if his appetite wasn’t already stunted…

Well, he was still tired, and he didn’t feel like moving. They weren’t doing anything other than poking and touching his scales. He could tolerate it for a while longer, as long as they didn’t-

“HOLY-!?”

~x~x~x~x~

Meanwhile, up in the spires hanging around the hollowed mountain of Tooth Palace, Toothiana was buried in work directing and assisting her fairies in tooth-collecting. She had gotten a somewhat late start, and therefore had jumped headlong into her work before even considering anything else – namely, a certain Boogeyman sleeping down by her oasis. 

“Long Beach, California, Central Incisor! Oh, school brawl at Minnesota Elementary, two Canines and a First Molar. Oh! That late Lateral in Florida finally dropped! Send a troop! What? Ugh, no, I told you already, we don’t leave money for animal teeth or-”

“ ** _AAAAAAAAAUUUUGGGGGHHHHHH!_** ”

The fairy queen nearly dropped right out of her coop from the scream, her wings stuttering in shock and her feathers puffed in an embarrassing display of fluff. Many of her Mini-fairies were faring little better, the majority of them having frozen in their tasks and now resembling iridescent puff-balls. 

Tooth gasped and held a hand against her frantic heart, “Oh wow, so this is what a stroke feels like…!” 

By the _Moon_ , what _was_ that!?

 _‘Wait…’_ she thought, frowning, _‘That…was that Pitch?’_

Baby Tooth, who was also recovering from her own near heart-attack, quickly veered her little head down to the ravine. She narrowed her heterochromatic eyes and looked up at Tooth. The fairy queen reined in her more calm resolve and, before she could ask the Mini-fairy to hold the fort while she went to check the irate Boogeyman, she was bombarded by a small flock of her fairies. All of which had just flown out of the ravine, and away from a rather colorful stream of obscenities following them. 

“H-hey now!” Tooth stuttered, suddenly overwhelmed by the various chirps and squeaks from her workers, “Girls, gir-GIRLS! Calm down! One at a time! What happened?”

Without even a speck of order, the dozen or so fairies all began to loudly give their story. She was assaulted by various little voices all at once, some obscured by frightened squeaks or distressed whines. Every other word was barely getting through to her, and all of them seemed to center around ‘Pitch’, ‘so mean’, ‘just wanted…’, and ‘so pretty’. It was quite a colorful, if not confusing, mix of statements, comments, and panicked whines.

Tooth took in a breath through her nose to keep herself from losing control of the situation. Not that she was fully in control of it, but still, she liked to believe there was some form of order in these kinds of situations. 

It was Baby Tooth who finally took control of the situation. With a loud, ear-piercing screech, the group of chatting fairies quieted. They and Tooth were openly staring at the little iridescent puffball in open surprise. The Mini-fairy merely scowled, smoothing down her frazzled feathers before gesturing to Tooth.

“Um, right, uh…thank you, Baby Tooth…” Toothiana cleared her throat, gaining the fairies’ attention, “Now, care to explain _calmly_ what is going on?”

A dozen pairs of eyes flickered between one another meekly, apprehensive. No one gave voice, ironically enough, to whatever had flustered them so badly. Tooth frowned and crossed her arms, quirking a feathered brow at them pointedly.

“Do I need to increase vault duty?” she asked. 

Her words gained the desired effect, as the fairies gasped shrilly and looked between each other. One fairy glared at its companion and shoved at one of her arms, pointing to Tooth. The fairy shook her head frantically, her shoulders bunching with her hands clasped behind her back. More fairies jumped in and chirped lowly at her, and she eventually relented. Slowly, she fluttered over to Tooth and settled on the fairy queen’s offered hand.

“Well?” she urged. 

A fairy in the group chirped at the one in Tooth’s hand, causing the fairy’s crest to fall. Sighing shrilly, she presented whatever it was she was hiding behind her back to her queen.

Tooth blinked in confusion, at first unsure just what she was looking at. It looked like an arrow head – a very small arrow head. It was dull, and grey, but if she looked closely enough, she could see it had a very dull luster. But where would her fairy get an arrow head? And why would she have it? Better yet, how could such a tiny, harmless looking, carved stone cause the Boogeyman to cry out in such a-

She suddenly frowned, ‘Wait…wait a minute…’

Leaning closer to the held out arrow head, it finally clicked in Tooth’s head, and she felt the blood drain from her face. Oh dear Moon, that was not an arrow head…

“You took one of his scales…!?” she rasped. 

Her statement was only confirmed when the group of fairies, and the one in her palm, whistled meekly and withdrew in on themselves. Their shoulders were practically up to their nonexistent ears, and it took every ounce of Tooth’s long practiced patience and self-restraint to not just outright scream. 

_‘As if Pitch didn’t have reason enough to hate me…!’_ she thought miserably, _‘Now he has reason to try and do Moon knows what to my fairies!’_

Groaning, Tooth rubbed at her forehead. Baby Tooth, hovering beside her, was giving the meek fairy in her palm a deadpan stare. She was either thoroughly unimpressed, or was silently congratulating the other for making the Boogeyman scream like a little girl. Tooth shooed the other fairies away and took the dull scale from the other.

“Alright, you’re coming with me young lady,” she said, before she flitted for the ravine, “Baby Tooth, you’re in charge for now!” she called over her shoulder, before vanishing down into the ravine with her fairy. 

She clutched the scale tightly in her hand, the hard shard nearly biting into her palm. A million thoughts were running through her head. Pitch was obviously bound to be mad – understatement – and she could only imagine just how big of a fit he was going to throw when she showed up. What if one of her fairies was left behind during the commotion? Why the hell would they take one of his scales anyways? Better yet, since when had they become so confident in approaching him? He was still dead asleep when she last checked on him an hour ago.

Tooth started her descent into the ravine, scanning her eyes along the ground and oasis below. There was no immediate sign of Pitch. There was no black mass in the water, so that meant he was hiding either in a crevice in the wall, or in the deeper shadows along the wall. And with how deep the shade was near the tree he was sleeping under – and considering it looked like a dog fight had gone on under said tree – she had a good guess as to where he was.

And once she came down to hover near the oasis, she stepped forward and got a good look at the shade of the sheer – which turned out not to be shadows or shade at all. She took in the scene before her with a mild sense of shock and confusion. 

“Pitch…?” she offered meticulously. 

“Damn it all to high hell, Toothiana, I told you to keep your little pests away from me!” Pitch snapped.

Currently, the Boogeyman was pressed near flat against the rock wall, his long coils looped in a tangled mess around his torso like a messily spun ball of yarn. His torso was barely visible through the thick coils of bristled scales, and what was visible was tense and flustered like a scandalized peacock. His head was hidden behind a thick section of his tail, but his eyes – glaring, angry, utterly _pissed off_ – peeked out from between two sections and stared at Tooth like she was every bit of what was wrong in the world. 

Honestly, he looked so ridiculous yet so _mad_. Tooth wasn’t sure what he looked like more – the cobra facing down a mongoose, or the cat that had a bath and later had its tail stepped on. 

But, as fate would have it, Tooth’s sub-consciousness chose what to feel for her. Her dainty hand flew to her steadily contorting lips, a familiar bubbling of repressed laughter threatening to break past her grinning mouth. Her wings stuttered under a shudder of barely restrained giggles, her shoulders shaking.

Pitch, it seemed, was not nearly as amused. 

“Don’t you _dare_ laugh at me!” he screeched.

“What…pft…! Was it really that bad…?” Tooth tried, Moon above did she try, but she could not for the life of her keep her obvious amusement to herself. 

A part of her just wanted to throw all decency to the wind and just laugh at the Boogeyman. But another, much more mature side of her that found the idea not only rude, but rather unlady-like, was honestly curious as to how Pitch suddenly become a scaly ball of flustered anger. Because as hilarious as Pitch looked right now, it usually took quite a bit to have Pitch pinned to a wall. And all because of a plucked scale!

Pitch hissed rather nastily at Tooth, causing the fairy behind her to huddle behind her queen.

“Those little green _cotton balls_ had the audacity to _yank out_ one of my damn scales!” he snarled.

Tooth nibbled her lower lip, before presenting the mentioned scale to the Boogeyman. Pitch’s eyes widened minutely, before narrowing back into angry slits.

“I, uh, know…” she offered meekly, still a bit uncertain as to why Pitch was reacting so badly to a lost scale, “But look, she’s sorry she pulled one out, she didn’t know you would react so…violently.”

The fairy in question chirped meticulously in agreement from behind one of Tooth’s tail feathers. Pitch felt his body tense up more, his scales bristling further as he hissed at the fairies.

“Sorry…?” he rasped, “She’s _sorry?_ Sorry doesn’t even come close to fixing this!” he shouted, startling the bird-like fairies. Tooth blinked in surprise, just a tad bit put off now.

She knew Pitch was rather vain; she’s had moments of panicking over a misplaced or lost feather herself. But honestly, he was making it seem like one of her fairy’s pulled out a vital organ. 

Seeing her lack of fury at her fairy – or lack of response in general really – Pitch’s scowl only deepened, the shadows cast by his brow and creased forehead darkening. 

“This isn’t nearly as revolting to you as it is to me, is it?” oddly, his sentence was worded as a question, but it sounded like he was making an obvious statement about how warm the weather was.

“Not really…?” Tooth offered meekly, all humor lost, “I mean, come on Pitch, it’s a _scale._ ” 

Pitch, ever the dramatic, made a low, rumbling sound in his throat and slipped part of his torso out from his tangled shelter. Though still balled up, he was still a good few feet taller than her. She seemed oblivious to the height difference by now, but her fairy was quite aware and making good use of her thick tail feathers as a hiding place. 

“Do you have _any_ idea how painful it is having a scale forcibly yanked out of my skin?” he asked slowly. He seemed to be making an honest effort not to just outright scream at Tooth, something she could appreciate, “Especially after only just shedding a week ago?” 

“Wait, you _shed?_ ” Tooth asked, astonished. Pitch fixed the fairy queen a deadpan look.

“Yes,” he groused, “I shed. Let’s _try_ to stay on topic and not discuss my reptilian bodily functions.”

“Erm, right,” Tooth muttered, “So…wait, it hurts?”

“It-!?” Pitch cut himself off with a deep choking noise that momentarily concerned Tooth, before he collected himself and pressed his fingers into his temples, “Toothiana, have you ever had a pin feather pulled out?”

He sounded like he was using every ounce of his, and some of the universe’s, willpower to not allow himself to completely fly off the handle. But his words reached the fairy queen, and when they sunk in, Tooth visibly cringed. She had a sudden flashback to a certain incident she had out on the field involving a high-powered ceiling fan in a young girl’s room, and a painful shock of accidently bumping her lower back into said fan. There just so happened to be a cluster of pin feathers in that area, and had Sandy not been close by to cover for her, her banshee shriek of pain would have woken every child – and perhaps a few adults – within the zipcode. The poor Sandman had thought someone was being murdered before she explained herself – after being coaxed her out of her embarrassment. 

And whether from sympathy or from the memory itself, Tooth was starting to feel a phantom stinging and prickling sensation on her lower back. She shuddered, her feathers ruffling.

“Oh…” A rather lame offering, but it seemed to openly express how much internal sympathy-pain she felt. She almost seemed meek with her shoulders nearly touching her ‘ears’.

Pitch did not respond right away, but instead rubbed the heel of his hand against his forehead in unimpressed contempt. He almost looked like he was pouting!

“You have an amazing ability to downplay others’ plights, don’t you?” he muttered. 

Tooth decided not to even give the statement an acknowledgment. Instead, she ushered her fairy from her feathers, and gestured to the irate Boogeyman.

“Go on now, say you’re sorry.” She said firmly. Pitch hissed.

“You think a mere apology is going to-”

Tooth shushed him swiftly, causing the Boogeyman to bristle in indignation. The very nerve of that fairy…!

Toothiana ushered her fairy forward again, and Pitch sneered down at the poor, quivering ball of feathers and fear. He could literally taste the anxiety rolling off of the little puff-ball in waves that seemed far too big for such a tiny thing. It was both invigorating, yet annoying; if she didn’t want to get caught, she shouldn’t have stolen one of his scales. It’s almost exactly like the lack of foresight and logic found in children. 

Pitch crossed his arms and leered, “Well?”

The fairy only stared, wide-eyed, at Pitch, frozen in terror. A beat passed, with Tooth hoping her fairy wasn’t just going to explode in an anxious shower of colorful feathers, and Pitch just waiting for an excuse to use said fairy as stuffing for a much needed pillow. It was silent for a good two minutes, before the fairy finally puffed up, chirped a very quiet, very fast, apology, and bolted from the ravine in a flurry of feathers and panicked squeaks. 

Toothiana and Pitch were now left a bit bewildered and alone. Not that Tooth could blame the fairy for being so abrupt; that was probably the best Pitch was going to get with her fairies for now. She hoped their interactions would improve over time though…

 _‘Wait, over time?’_ she thought to herself, stunned. What was that supposed to mean? He was only staying for the summer! Not forever! Just…just a few months…and why would she even want them to get along? They’re not going to be seeing each other all the time once he left!

 _‘It’s just temporary…_ ’ she thought to herself. She wasn’t sure who she was trying to convince; herself, or this second consciousness that seemed keen on making Pitch stay longer, _‘Just temporary…’_

But then again…what if things could work out more smoothly in the end? What if she could find some way for Pitch to make peace with the other Guardians? What if she could prompt some kind of truce? Even if it was just temporary, a truce between them would be all the more any of them could ask for. Or better yet – though unlikely – what if she could find some way to help Pitch utilize his powers in a more…gentle way?

 _‘But how would someone turn Nightmares and fear into something…well, good?’_ she thought. Her contemplative resolve must have showed in her face – or with how silent she has been and how intensely she was staring at him – but hearing the Boogeyman clear his throat brought her back to reality.

“Something you find interesting?” he groused. Tooth fought down a blush at being caught staring at the Boogeyman.

“Um…” Seriously, did Pitch have some sort of other power that made others incapable of using actual words? “Your scale…”

Numbly, she held out the grey-washed arrow, unsure of what she should really say or do. Pitch narrowed his eyes at the scale in her hand, before he sighed and his scales seemed to settle. He lowered his torso onto a thick section near his tail end, and propped his head up on his hands.

“Forget it, you might as well just throw it away,” he said, “It’s useless, and I can’t exactly just put it back.”

Tooth blinked, surprised. With how much he was panicking over the whole thing, she thought he’d want his scale back. Even if he couldn’t put it back on his body, it seemed odd.

She suddenly frowned, “What do you mean useless?”

“Unlike your feathers, my scales cannot just be taken off without consequence,” Pitch explained, waving a hand, “They’re like spare rooms for my energy and element. When a scale is forcibly removed, the energy is lost, ergo its now dull color.”

Bringing her hand back, Tooth once again looked at the scale in her hand. She had noticed how dull and grey it was, so unlike Pitch’s other scales. But she never gave much thought as to its color.

“But you said you shed…?” she inquired.

“I do, but it’s like when a bird molts…” Pitch eyed her with a raised brow and contemplative expression. He shrugged after a moment before continuing, “Out with the old, in with the new. I don’t need the scales to act as holding vessels, but I can’t use anything else to hold this form. When I shed, my powers are just recycling and moving under the old layer of scales. Once that’s done, the old scales come off.”

“And make armor…” Tooth muttered in sudden understanding. Pitch frowned.

“How do you know?” he asked slowly. Tooth’s feathers ruffled, and she rubbed at one of her arms.

“I, uh, may have run across an armory while I was…well, before I found you,” She said meekly, “And I saw what I thought was some kind of snake-themed armor…”

A scoff, “I see. So while you were planning your little ‘rescue mission’, you went snooping through my things. How eloquent.”

“I didn’t know where you were! I was trying to find a tooth!” Tooth snapped, becoming frustrated. 

Pitch only offered a lazy roll of his eyes. Tooth felt herself flush in frustration, her hand clenching around the scale. She was about to retort at the Boogeyman, but stopped when a strange discoloration against the colored scales Pitch was leaning on caught her eye.

 _‘What the…?’_ she frowned. The two gold and one blue scale next to his elbow were strangely patterned. There were little lines and drips of black on them, like someone had dumped a bottle of ink onto them.

It was only when she noticed one of the stains _dripping_ down to the next scale, her eyes widened and she meekly pointed to the area.

“A-are you bleeding?” she asked worriedly.

Momentarily confused, the Boogeyman blinked and looked down. He frowned as he raised himself up higher to look down at himself. He managed to squeeze his lower waist out from its tight confines, and found the source of the black liquid. 

A worryingly large welting of black blood was leaking from what looked like a deep, quarter-sized wound just below one of his hipbones. Pitch tentatively touched the wound, visibly wincing as his fingers came into contact with raw under-skin. Tooth stared at the wound in open concern; it looked like someone had put a fishhook in him and then yanked it out by the line.

Pitch scowled and muttered darkly, “Right, that. Well, my scales are like pin-feathers in another sense,” he said, “The smaller ones closer to my torso are more fused with my actual skin. Yanking one out, especially a small, new one, will not only hurt, but cause injury…”

Tooth cringed as the Boogeyman probed at his wound, muttering about how long it was going to take for the wound to close up. She nibbled her lower lip in worry, and a small amount of guilt. If it was anything like having a pin-feather yanked out, he was right; the pain was excruciating, and it took a long time for the wound to close up. On normal birds, they risk bleeding out entirely. For her or her fairies, the risk was lower, but still there. For reptiles, she wasn’t sure if Pitch was in any immediate danger of hemorrhaging. 

“So on that note, either keep the damn thing or throw it away, I don’t care…” Pitch waved a hand nonchalantly, still probing the bleeding hole.

Tooth wasn’t too sure how to respond to the man’s suddenly flippant attitude. One minute he was raving and bristling like a distressed porcupine, and now he’s completely subdued – if still a bit snarky. His mood-swings were startling…

She shook her head suddenly, clutching the scale in her hand. She’ll figure out what to do with it later, right now she had other plans.

“I have some medical supplies that can maybe help?” she offered.

Pitch sighed, seemingly slumping in on himself. He held a palm to his still bleeding wound, and waved a hand at Toothiana. 

“Whatever…” he grumbled. Tooth wasn’t sure if that was her cue to get lost, or get the medical supplies. She chose the latter and, assuring him she would be back, flew back to the top of the ravine to raid her infirmary. 

The alcove in which her infirmary was kept in was smaller than her kitchens, but boasted more space and special nooks and nests carved into the walls for any sick or injured fairies. She said quiet hellos and well-wishes to the nurse-fairies and those who were nest-bound. Checking the storage closet, she gathered various bandages, wraps, gauze, and disinfectants. She eyed the stitching supplies wearily, contemplative. A beat passed before she grabbed a needle and stitching thread – just in case – before she flew out and back for Pitch.

She found him the way she left him, knotted coils tightly pressed into the wall, and the Boogeyman himself probing at the bleeding wound. He seemed rather irritated that his poking wasn’t stopping the blood flow.

Tooth rolled her eyes and set the supplies down on the ground, “Don’t poke at it so much.”

Pitch scoffed as Tooth flitted over to him. She shot him a pointed look, as if mentally asking permission to touch him. He narrowed his eyes before sighing in exasperation and waving a hand. The fairy queen decided to take that as her go ahead, and picked up the disinfectant and some cotton balls.

“This might sting a bit…” she said as she dabbed some of the liquid on a cotton ball.

“Not like I’m not accustomed to pain…” Pitch muttered.

Tooth chose to ignore what was obviously meant to be a heated jab, and gently started dabbing at the bloody wound. Pitch tensed briefly as the potent liquid burned and stung against his raw flesh, but he slowly relaxed as the pain dissolved into a heated throbbing in his hip. Tooth later used a clean cotton swab and a basin of water to wipe away the excess blood around his hip and tail. Once clean, she took out a roll of gauze, and bunched a bit up into a thick pad the size of one of her fairies. Pressing the pad to the wound, she prompted Pitch into keeping pressure on it while she started to unroll another strip of gauze to wind around his lower waist to keep it in place. 

To do so, however, required that she put her arms around Pitch. He wasn’t a particularly thick man, but she wasn’t exactly very tall, nor were her limbs overly long. Adding the mass of his tail in the way, and his refusal to uncoil, Tooth found herself in a bit of a predicament.

It was only after he noticed her staring rather blankly at his abdomen that Pitch finally spoke.

“Well?” he groused. 

Tooth flinched, but didn’t back down, “Um…well, I need to wrap it to keep the pad in place, but…”

The Naga-like man arrowed his eyes at Toothiana, seemingly not understanding. Her face flushing slightly. Tooth cleared her throat and simply held her hands up helplessly. It finally seemed to click for Pitch, and when it did, he only offered a snort and a roll of his eyes.

“Just…get on with it…” he sighed, “Or I can do it myself. I’ve had plenty of experience in this field.” 

Once again, Tooth found herself barely managing to ignore yet another jab, and instead sighed and hovered closer to the man. At first meek and hesitant, she sent a silent prayer to the Moon and awkwardly pressed herself against Pitch’s abdomen so she could pass the gauze roll to her other hand and wind it around him. Tooth felt him tense when she came into physical contact with his – surprisingly – warm skin. Her cheek would press into his belly whenever she made to pass the gauze from one hand to the other behind his back, and she was surprised to hear what sounded like a deep drum beating intensely behind the thin layer of skin. 

_‘A heartbeat…’_ she thought, slightly stunned. She then mentally scowled and chastised herself; of course he had a heart. All living things, spirit or otherwise, had a heart. Why would she assume otherwise?

 _‘Why do you think?’_ that more cynical side of her sneered. She contemplated making a remark to this sudden paradox, but thought better against her sanity. 

During this moment of mental battle, Tooth had yet to realize she had completely paused in her first-aid, and her arms were still and tight around Pitch’s waist. The Boogeyman himself was looking down at Tooth with something akin to confusion and amusement. And also what seemed to be a bit of pain.

“Toothiana…” he started meticulously.

Tooth only made a slightly acknowledging sound, her head unconsciously pressing further into Pitch’s torso. His heartbeat seemed to be picking up for some reason, and his breathing was becoming deeper…

“That’s a bit tight…” he deadpanned, with just a bare tinge of strain to his voice.

“Yeah…” she muttered absently. Pitch felt his already stretched patience thin and tear in a few places.

“No, Toothiana, seriously…” he ground out, “You’re binding a wound, not fitting me into a corset.”

Corset…tight…what…? OH! 

“Oh!” Tooth veered back, letting go of the gauze and fluttering a few feet away from Pitch. At the new distance, she could now see that the gauze had been drawn tightly and was digging rather painfully into Pitch’s waist. The Boogeyman sighed in relief as the binds loosened slightly, and he caught to roll of gauze before it could unravel. 

“I think I’ll take over…” he said with a patronizing sneer. 

Tooth groaned and smoothed the feathers down along her head. She watched as Pitch wound the gauze a couple more times around his waist – after loosening it some, all the while muttering about how she was after his organs or something. He bit off the end of the gauze from the roll – Tooth cringed from the tooth abuse – and tied the end off to the wrap. He tossed the roll back into the pile of first-aid supplies, crossed his arms, and scowled at Tooth. 

“If we’re quite done here…” he said.

The fairy queen had half a mind to spit something nasty at the ungrateful Boogeyman. But by this point, she was too mentally exhausted from her own endeavors. Instead, she sighed and rubbed her forehead.

“Yeah, right…” she muttered, picking up the first-aid supplies. She paused from leaving and turned back to Pitch minutely, “Did you need anything else? Food? Drink?”

“No, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.” Pitch sneered, reclining into his coils.

Rolling her eyes, Tooth left it at that. Male pride – apparently even Pitch had it. Making sure she picked all the supplies up, and the dull scale, she made to fly out of the ravine and return to her work. But before she was even a yard from the ground…

“Wait.”

Tooth stopped and turned back to Pitch, eyes wide in surprise. She was only further perplexed by the odd expression now on Pitch’s face. Somewhere bordering on a scowl, a pout, and a mild tinge of embarrassment, it was quite an odd look for him. Slowly, she lowered herself to the ground and set the supplies down on a rock.

“Yes…?” she asked meticulously.

Pitch said nothing at first, only scowled heatedly at the ground like it had done something foully unjust to him personally. Her brows slowly raised as a familiar purple flush took over the Boogeyman’s cheeks, as well as the tips of his ears, and suddenly she became concerned. Was he getting sick again?

“I…” he paused, unsure and muscles tensing. Tooth felt her heart picking up. Was he…was he trying to _thank_ her? He seemed to be having a difficult time speaking, so it had to be something towards her that he found painful.

She flitted closer to him, nearly hovering over him in a strange sort of anticipation.

“Yes?” She prompted.

Pitch growled lowly in his throat and tightened his crossed arms around himself. Another moment passed, and Tooth barely withheld herself from fidgeting or biting her lip. Pitch’s eyes suddenly veered to the tight mound of coils he had strangely yet to unravel. He sighed and suddenly became limp, pressing a hand to his eyes.

“I’m stuck…”

To be continued…


	10. Chapter 10

He was…stuck.

 _Stuck_.

Pitch Black in his serpentine form, was literally tied up in his own coils, and stuck. He was…oh dear Moon, he _was not kidding._

 _‘Stuck…he’s STUCK…!’_ Tooth bit her lip hard enough for her to worry about breaking skin, but she just could not focus on anything else other than the fact that _Pitch Black was stuck._

The dark man narrowed his eyes, but refused to look at Tooth in his predicament. Rage was slowly building inside him, but it was always overshadowed by humiliation before it could reach its peak. Oh as if having a scale yanked out by a Mini-Fairy wasn’t bad enough, now he’s literally tied himself up into a great big knot!

“I swear by every star and planet that if you so much as think of _laughing at me-_ ”

“NO! No, no, no! I’m not laughing, I’m…!” so going to laugh, there was no avoiding it. 

_‘No, no, don’t laugh! If you do, he’s never going to let you anywhere near him anymore,’_ she thought, ‘ _Come on think of not-funny things. Cavities, chipped molars, gingivitis, impacted teeth, Pitch biting you…!’_

She blinked. How…was it that last one made her excited and sent her body tingling? Did she seriously want him to…?

“Toothiana…”

She startled at the ground out call of her name, and looked over at Pitch with her cheeks flushed and eyes wide. Pitch was still refusing to look at her, his arms crossed tightly over his lean chest. A dark purple flush was spread out over his sharp cheeks, and Tooth just had to let her brain get away with how cute he looked with a purple blush – at least it wasn’t from heat sickness this time.

“If you help me resolve this…issue…I will solemnly swear on my name not to harass your fairies…” he frowned, bunching his shoulders, “Unless provoked of course.”

The Tooth Fairy blinked oddly, unsure how to take such an offer. On one hand, this was a great opportunity for her. On the other, should she press the matter and make him swear to something else? Like to leave her and the other Guardians be forever? Never give another child Nightmares…give her a scale…?

 _‘Stop it!’_ she wanted to slap herself – she would have too if she didn’t have an audience. 

“Well?” Pitch urged, becoming uncomfortable with her odd staring. He wasn’t a zoo attraction, damn it, “You know, it’s rude to stare at others just because they look a little different.”

For some reason, that well-timed statement made Tooth want to laugh. Whether it was from irony, or some kind of twisted cliché, she didn’t know. All she knew was that she was so damn confused right now, and very much conflicted with what to do next. She could easily leave him this way and go about her business – teach him to be so rude to her after all she’s done for him.

And she would have done so if she wasn’t such a damn sucker for people in distress. She didn’t have a mean enough bone to go through with it, and he did look quite uncomfortable coupled with his injury…

She sighed, shoulders slouching, “Okay, I’ll help you uh…un-knot, but under one condition!”

“Didn’t I just give you a rather generous one?” Pitch grumbled.

“Well…yes, but I have a different one I want.” This caused him to narrow his eyes suspiciously. No doubt he was thinking over every single negative way this could go for him and his job as Nightmare King.

Pupils turning into sharp slits, Pitch made a noticeable effort to loom over Tooth, despite his stationary position. His forked tongue flickered as he coldly regarded her.

“Let’s hear it…” he sounded like he was chewing on glass.

Tooth swallowed, but none the less did not back down. She wasn’t about to be intimidated by an overgrown purse. Puffing her feathers defiantly, she hovered a bit higher so her crest was just a small breadth above Pitch’s head.

“I will help you get out of this, if-”

“Let me guess? Stop spreading Nightmares? Quit bothering you and the other Guardians? Don’t scare anyone or anything? Cease to exist?” Pitch growled, hackles rising.

Tooth narrowed her eyes, planting her hands on her hips, “Do you really think any of us are that heartless?”

“Yes.” He said it with no hesitation whatsoever. There wasn’t even a hint of challenge; it was like he was merely stating a fact of life. He could have said the sky was blue, plants need water to live, and the earth revolves around the sun in that same exact tone without any difference.

It was…oddly hurtful to Tooth. He honestly thought she would take such advantage of him like this? That she and the others wanted him gone for good…?

 _‘But that is what we want, isn’t it?’_ she asked herself sadly. Once again without trying, Pitch made the fair Tooth Fairy feel like a lowly insect. 

She seemed to think about all of their encounters in the past, from their first to their most recent last spring. It really did seem like she and the others wanted Pitch eliminated; but at the same time, he wasn’t going about things the right way. They could understand wanting to be seen – they had a much better understanding of the concept now after the Nightmare War. If anything, their battle with him was a valuable lesson to them all, and they gained so much from it in both believers and knowledge. Pitch…he got nothing but a dark, lonely hole full of Nightmares and a life of invisibility…

She sighed, suddenly tired. How does he do it? How can he use just one word to make her feel like this? It wasn’t fair…

“Alright, tell you what…” she started, softening her tone, “Forget any deals or whatever. I’m just going to get you out of this. But you need to promise me something.”

“Isn’t that considered a condition?” Pitch said with a quirked brow.

“ _Promise_ me.” Tooth urged.

Pitch growled, but son sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed at his face tiredly. He seemed just as drained as she was – both physically and mentally.

“What is this promise I need to make…” he sighed. He was dangerously close to sounding like he was whining.

“Okay…” Tooth started, taking a deep breath, “You have to promise me, swear to me, that you…” she paused, uncertain.

Pitch’s frown deepened at her hesitation. He leaned towards her a bit with a cocked head, arms loosening around his torso.

“Swear that I…?” he probed. He had to admit, he was quite curious now. And if she backed out of this, he was going to lose his mind – both from being stuck in a knot and not knowing what she wanted him to promise. 

“You…you have to promise…” she was wringing her hands and her face was flushed. Now he was very curious.

“Promise…?” he pushed a bit harder, stretching his aching torso towards her until they were nearly touching foreheads.

Tooth blushed at the suddenly close proximity. Fear suddenly consumed her, and she had the urge to flee out of pure embarrassment. 

“Uh, you know what? Never mind! I-I’m just going to untangle you now and-”

“Ah-ah-ah…” Pitch grabbed her wrist before she could flutter back and away from him.

Tooth froze up as his free arm encircled her waist and pulled her towards him until their chests and stomachs connected. She shuddered involuntarily when their bodies connected, and his large hand settled on her hip; he was able to completely encircle her waist with just one arm, the other still gripping her wrist in a tight, but unpainful, hold. 

Tooth felt her heart stutter as he leered down at her. He was so warm; the heat of his body was literally seeping through her feathers and into her skin. His hands were huge, nearly engulfing her forearm and hand, and hiding her hip perfectly in his cupped palm. She could feel the steady rhythm of his heart against her breast, his stomach expanding shallowly with each breath he took. Yet she still had to marvel at how warm he was…

 _‘Is he always this warm?’_ she thought, _‘Or is it because of his current form?’_

She certainly had no idea; all she knew was that she was staring into the smoldering, seductive eyes of a true snake. She felt like a hypnotized animal – that myth of snakes dazing their prey with just a look nearly sent her reeling from its sudden authenticity. She was almost frightened of it…

But also excited.

“Now tell me, darling,” he purred. Tooth shuddered as that low purr literally vibrated down his throat, into his chest, and passed into her body, “What is it you wish for me to swear upon in exchange for my release?”

Oh, Moon…did he just make an innuendo? Or was that simply her foggy brain playing tricks on her? No, her mind was playing tricks on her. There was no Pitch had just subtly suggested…

“Well…?” he purred, his breath warming her already heated cheeks.

Oddly enough, his breath didn’t attest to his gnarled teeth. It smelled vaguely of charred wood and smoke, with an unknown earthiness she could not name. It seemed to match his own natural musk as well; it was like earth after rain in a freshly burnt forest. 

“I…” swallowing, Tooth was unable to break her amethyst eyes away from those sulfuric orbs, “You promise…”

“Go on now, I don’t bite…” he said, before a playful smirk came over his lips, “Much.”

And she was going to die now. She was going to turn around, flee from the Palace, and die in some dark hole somewhere. _How was he doing this?_ Why wasn’t she responding in some way other than a swooning damsel!?

 _‘Get a grip, Tooth!’_ she screamed at herself, _‘This is PITCH, not some great Adonis from a romance novel, now buck up and spit it out!’_

A sense of clarity and strength came over her then, and she tensed under Pitch’s hold. Frowning – or more pouting – defiantly, she shoved herself out of Pitch’s arms and flew a few feet out of his reach. 

Pitch blinked, feigning hurt, “Why Toothiana, you wound me.”

“Enough, Pitch,” she growled, regaining control of herself, “I’m not here to play games. And if I remember correctly, you’re still tied up.”

Pitch scoffed, his façade gone, “Yes, well, I wouldn’t be if _someone_ just told me what it is they want.”

“You-!” Tooth stopped herself from shouting, bringing her dainty fingers up to rub at her temples, “I am not going to argue with you, Pitch…”

“Then by all means, let’s hear it.” The Boogeyman sighed; it was obvious that he was just as done with this game as she was.

“Alright…” she let out a breath and straightened herself, deciding to just spit it out, “You have to promise you will talk to me.”

Pitch blinked owlishly, genuinely stunned. Tooth held her breath and stared at him defiantly, though inside she was flailing about like a landed fish and screaming for him to say something to her. So far, no response was apparent from the serpentine man. He only continued to stare as if in a daze at her. It was like he was physically incapable of processing what she just said – granted, she was half right on that account. 

“Talk…” he said. Tooth nodded stiffly.

“Yes, talk – to me.” She repeated.

“And we are not doing that now…?”

“No, I mean-…!” Tooth sighed, rubbing her forehead before she straightened, looking at Pitch almost imploringly, “I mean _talk to me._ ”

“Toothiana, you can emphasis it however you wish, but I still do not see how what we are doing now isn’t talking.” Pitch said, frustrated and very much uncomfortable – the blood flow was being cut off from his lower extremities, and it was not a pleasant feeling.

“Ugh, just…” what could she say? How could she express to him what she wanted without sounding like a complete and utter idiot? Better yet, how can she express it without coming off as a nosey bother?

“I mean…just-…” she sighed, _‘Alright, cards on the table…’_

“I mean that if you’re having trouble – a bad day, you feel down, or have a problem – I want…” she fidgeted slightly, “I want you to come talk to me about it. Always. Even if it seems stupid, I just…”

“Just what…?” Pitch asked dazedly – he wasn’t even aware that he had spoken.

“I just…I want to understand,” Tooth said meekly, quietly, “I want to understand why you’re so angry – I mean, I can understand, but I want to really understand.”

Again, Pitch can only blink owlishly, uncertain, “And when you say all of this, you are saying you want to be my…confidant?” 

“No, I…I want to be your friend,” Tooth said, before she suddenly snapped her fingers at the realization, “Yes! That’s what I want! If I free you from this uh…thing, you have to let me make the effort of letting me possibly become a friend!”

He was gaping at her now, he was sure of it. She wanted…the Tooth Fairy, wanted to be his friend? The same woman whose fairies and livelihood and children’s memories he stole? Was she serious?

Judging by the determined look in her eyes, and the wide, hopeful smile she was boasting – yes, she was serious.

 _‘There’s a gas leak in here, isn’t there?’_ he thought. Yes, a gas leak – it would explain everything.

He shook his head, hoping to somehow physically shake off this strange…feeling overcoming him. All of them confusion, frustration, anger – elation? – more confusion – hurt? – and some other emotion he just could not – would not – name. 

“You…want to be…my friend…” he deadpanned, slightly – _very much_ – disbelieving. 

“Yes! I mean…if you want?” Tooth offered, suddenly meek once more.

Somehow, and he would never know why or how, she reminded Pitch of a school girl trying to ask her crush out. How he came to that comparison, he would never know, and he dearly hoped he wouldn’t have to find out anytime soon – or ever for that matter. 

But this left out the billion dollar question…

“Why, exactly?” he asked.

Tooth opened her mouth as if to answer, but stopped. Why did she want to be Pitch’s friend? Was it sympathy? Pity? No, neither of those two – well, maybe a tiny bit of sympathy. But there was something else. The whole driving force behind her wanting to get to know him and maybe be friends was…

 _‘I don’t like seeing you hurting so much…’_ a part of her said, _‘I want to see a real smile from you.’_

Was that it? She wanted to see him happy? To smile freely and not with malice or contempt? A more cynical part of her argued that she just wanted one of his scales – but even she knew that was not the case whatsoever. She truly wanted him to feel real happiness – the kind of happiness she and her fairies gave to children when they showed them their best memories.

But does Pitch even have any good memories? 

She would have to figure it out along the way.

“I guess for selfish reasons…” she said, rubbing an arm awkwardly, “I mean…I…I have good reasons, but I’m not sure how to…well, say them.”

“Let me guess, you want one of my scales?” Pitch deadpanned, crossing his arms once more. Damn it all, he was losing feeling in his tail…

Tooth reeled back as if struck, eyes wide in stunned surprise, “H-how did you-!?”

“Oh please, I may have been ill and exhausted most of the time here, but even a blind child could feel you ogling at them.” Pitch said with a sly smirk. Tooth had the decency to blush.

“You…you knew…” she said.

“That I did,” Pitch said, before he leered at her, “So if I give you a scale, will you get me out of this and drop the whole charade?”

“What? No!” she snapped, before she amended, “I-I mean no, this is not a charade! I mean it, I want us to at least get along – not just tolerate one another.”

Pitch quirked a brow in deadpan disbelief, and Tooth sighed.

“Okay, I will openly and honestly admit – yes, I would love to have one of your scales,” she said, ignoring Pitch’s patronizing scoff, “But not as a bargaining chip. I’d rather it be a gift than anything else…”

Pitch seemed to regard her critically, eyes narrowed and mouth set in a straight, firm line. Tooth simply quieted and waited for him to say something, anything. He was obviously thinking the whole situation over in his head, likely going over the pros and cons of the whole ordeal. So far he gave no outward signs of any conflicting emotions other than deep thought and consideration. She wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or a bad one – she just held out hope and prayed to Manny that he would just give it a chance; give _her_ a chance.

A slow, cat-like blink of sulfur eyes later, and Pitch finally locked eyes with her.

“Give me that scale your fairy so rudely took from me.” He said. Tooth blinked, surprised.

“Um, what?” she asked.

“The scale – give it to me.” Pitch repeated, face hardening.

Tooth, thought startled, decided to ignore Pitch’s rude demand, and uncurled her hand around the scale. She looked at the dull, grey thing momentarily before she hovered closer to Pitch, and hesitantly dropped it into his outstretched palm. 

Pitch looked at the scale thoughtfully, as if wondering if it was capable of doing something. Satisfied, he curled his hand around it and regarded Tooth.

“Now then…we’ll make this interesting…” he said.

At first confused, Tooth startled slightly when Pitch raised his free hand to his mouth. She gasped when he suddenly retracted his fangs and bit down onto his palm.

“What are you-!?”

“Hush…” the word was slightly muffled by the mouthful of hand he had, but his message got across by his scathing look.

Black blood welted to the surface of his hand, and he suddenly let go. Opening his palm with the scale, he held his bleeding hand over it, and allowed a few drops of his blood to drop and stain the grey scale. And as if by magic, the scale seemed to absorb the blood, and take on its black coloring. But it wasn’t like Pitch’s other black scales. It was reminiscent of coal – a dull, lusterless black. Once satisfied, Pitch licked at his palm with his long, forked tongue. And Tooth watched, amazed, as the wound closed up, leaving not even a scar behind.

He examined his hand briefly, then the scale itself, turning it this way and that. He nodded to himself suddenly, and then presented it back to the stunned Tooth.

“You say you want to work at befriending me,” he started, “Well, you can start by working on what I have inside me. Polish this scale every day, and should I start to believe you in accordance to your intentions, the blood will be slowly erode away, and reveal something different underneath.”

Tooth blinked, but somehow dumbly held her hands out, and let Pitch deposit the scale into her hand. It somehow felt…heavier. Almost too heavy for something of its size. It felt cold and hard, eerily so – like ice that refused to melt. And its edging was sharp – sharp enough to cut through her hand if she wasn’t careful. 

It was just like Pitch, she realized. Cold, hard, dark as the abyss, sharp as a knife and just as defensive, and yet…he said there was something underneath the crude blackness. Something different…

This is rather poetic, she thought. To start a friendship, one must work with the other person to form a solid structure – like polishing and carving a rough diamond. Or in this case, polishing the blackness off the scale and finding out what is underneath – what Pitch was underneath his gruff exterior. And if this was any form of Pitch’s own magic, she won’t be able to see fully what is underneath unless she both polished it, and worked to understand Pitch himself as well. 

Watching her curious and fascinated expression in a bored manner, Pitch scoffed and gestured to himself.

“Well?” he hissed, “I can’t stay like this forever, and I would really like to get the feeling back in my tail as soon as possible – I suspect I am sitting on a rock.”

She couldn’t help it, she laughed a bit at that last part. Well that couldn’t be good. She gave the scale one last curious look before setting it aside on a boulder, freeing her hands.

“Okay, um…” she paused, unsure, “How should we, uh…do this?”

Pitch’s brows creased, he himself uncertain. How were they going to do this? He was huge and weighed close to half a ton at least. And Tooth didn’t exactly look like she could haul an elephant around without trouble. 

He sighed, “Just…look for the end of my tail, and try and push it out of where it is stuck.”

Well, it was a start. Tooth nodded and zipped down to the ground near the base of the tangled scales. She landed down on her knees when she found the narrow end sticking out of what looked to be a rather impressive choke-hold.

“Just…push it out?” she asked. She heard Pitch groan in exasperation.

“Yes, just shove it out. I can’t feel anything to begin with, so just-AUGH!”

Quite tired of his condescending attitude, Tooth rolled her eyes and grabbed the end of his tail. Angling it just right, she started to push it through the knot, small muscles straining against the resistance. Pitch writhed uncomfortably; apparently he still had some feeling left. He wiggled his tail as much as he could, loosening up just the slightest bit. They managed to work out a small gap that was big enough for Pitch to slide his torso through and alleviate some of the pressure on the center of his coils.

“Damn it woman, do you ever file those talons of yours?” he growled.

 _‘He is such a drama queen…’_ Tooth thought with an eye roll. 

“Alright, now just move that here…”

“Ugh, not so hard!”

“Just put your tail here…”

“Is this really necessary?”

“Yes, now just keep that there-”

“I don’t see why I can’t just stay like this.”

“I’m not leaving you like this, we had a deal and-”

“This is very uncomfortable.”

“Well yes, but-”

“Don’t touch that!”

“If you could just-”

“And what if I catch your kooties?”

“Will you just-!?”

“I said don’t touch that!”

“WILL YOU-!?”

“EEK!”

Pitch’s hands flew to his mouth in horror, eyes wide and body stiff. Tooth, frozen in the process of pulling the end of his tail out of another knot, slowly lifted her head up to look at Pitch with equally large eyes. Slowly, she blinked owlishly at the Boogeyman. Pitch’s cheeks were once again turning a rather royal shade of purple, and Tooth slowly pulled her hand away from the area she caused the reaction from.

It had been the utmost girliest, yet shocking, yelp she’d ever heard from a man.

“Pitch…” she started slowly, carefully. The Boogeyman did not acknowledge her, but she continued on in a gentle, nonjudgmental voice, “Are…are you ticklish?”

And this would be there part, if Pitch were not a ball of knots and coils, he would have slinked off to the nearest hole to hide forever – _after_ he kills Tooth and makes a pillow out of her hide and feathers. 

He slowly shook his head, “No…” was the muffled response from behind his hands.

“Uh-huh…” suddenly feeling mischievous, Tooth raised her hand and held up her index finger, hovering it inches from the spot on Pitch’s underbelly that had conceived such a reaction, “So nothing would happen if I were to touch you there again?”

 _‘Payback…’_ she thought triumphantly. 

“N-no, not in the slightest!” Pitch rasped, throwing his hands down at his sides in tight fists.

Again, Tooth makes a disbelieving humming sound and eyes the gold and dark grey underbelly. The scales were softer in that area, and more sectioned than arrow shaped. They were also warmer, and likely very sensitive. 

Which she was going to take full advantage of.

Pitch stared in wide eyed horror as Tooth raised her hands up, fingers crooked up near her face – he was scarily reminded of parents making stupid faces at younger children. But no, this wasn’t a means to mock him, this was _danger._

And he _could not run…!_

 _‘Damn it all sideways to hell and back…!’_ Tooth grinned horribly at him, and Pitch felt the blood drain from his face. He never stood a chance…

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Up above in the spires and towers of Tooth Palace, the Mini-fairies would no sooner be startled into nearly dropping out of the sky by what to them sounded like a hysterical banshee being told the greatest joke in the world.

Baby Tooth, minding the main tower, looked down at the ravine with wide eyes. At first her brain registered it as Toothiana in distress. Was that pigheaded Boogeyman hurting her!? But then came the second guffaw, this one laced with barely a barely coherent ‘stop it’ laced into it. This was followed by more shrieking laughter, and a light rumbling; like something was crashing into the wall of the ravine. 

A fellow fairy carrying a Lateral Incisor fluttered up to her in concern.

 _“Should we be concerned?”_ she asked.

 _“Better yet, should we go check on them?”_ Another fairy added. Baby Tooth frowned.

 _“Wait here…”_ Passing a Molar to her colleague, Baby Tooth took off and flitted for the edge of the ravine. 

The others waited eagerly for her return and a full report on what she saw. They certainly hoped their Queen wasn’t being hurt. But then again, if she was, they would have felt it and come to her rescue…

A shrill squeak was heard, and Baby Tooth suddenly shot away from the ravine and scrambled back to her station, eyes wide and looking slightly ill. 

_“What? What? What is it?”_ One fairy chirped.

 _“Is our queen okay?”_ another asked.

Groaning, Baby Tooth flopped onto the platform and rubbed her eyes, mentally willing the mental images to go away.

 _“Baby Tooth…?”_ the first fairy asked.

 _“Whatever you do…”_ Baby Tooth started, dragging her hands down her face until she was pulling her eyelids down her cheeks, _“Don’t go down there until it stops…”_

The others gave concerned and curious looks, but Baby Tooth refused to answer their questions. She eventually sent them back to their jobs – Toothiana would never forgive them if they shirked off their duties and fell behind schedule. Baby Tooth, meanwhile, took an impromptu break and made a beeline for the kitchens, sneaking into the ‘good’ nectar stash.

Who knew Pitch was so ticklish?

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

“AAAHHHH! Toothiana STOP!”

“Not a chance!”

“You little-AUGH! Not there, not there, not-AHAHAHAHAHAHHHAAAAHHHH!”

She was having way too much fun. She knew she was being an utter creep and a jerk for this, but damn it all if she wasn’t having fun with this. And even better – or worse – yet was all of Pitch’s struggling was loosening his knots…

Pitch writhed and laughed hysterically as she dragged a loose feather down his lower flank, beating his fists against the rock wall. Tooth was grinning ear to ear; he definitely sounded much nicer when he wasn’t laughing like an evil maniac – though he did sound quite out of his mind right now, mind you. 

“I said st-AHP! Hahahahaha! STOP!” he screamed. More knots fell loose, and Tooth had to start hovering over him to avoid being crushed by his freed tail.

“Not unless you say ‘please’.” Tooth sung pleasantly.

“P-piss OFF! Hahahaha!”

 _‘Rude…’_ Tooth thought with a pout. She sighed, “Well then, looks like you’re going to be pretty occupied for a while now…”

“I said-gahahaah!-stop!”

“Say please and I’ll consider it.”

“I mean it Toothiana!”

“Say please~”

“St-ahaha-OP! STOP! STOP! I said _fucking STOP!_ ”

Apparently Pitch had had enough – Tooth received this message when Pitch found it in him to take control of his body once more. With one great heave and a snarl, his body undulated into an arch, and came crashing down onto the small fairy woman. Tooth yelped as she was downed and pinned by what felt like five tons worth of hissy-fits and diva-drive. 

“Guh…!” She choked, squirming fruitlessly under Pitch’s tail. Her legs were pinned down, and one of her arms was trapped underneath him, “Pitch…! You get off me right now…!”

“Not unless you say ‘please’…” was the raspy reply. Pitch rubbed his throbbing temples, shoulders shaking as he fought down anymore giggles and tried to regain his breath.

“Ugh, come on Pitch! I tickle you, you try to crush me!?” Tooth snapped.

“I told you to STOP!”

“Well, you seemed to be enjoying it…”

“You were assaulting me in the utmost disgusting manner possible!”

“Ugh, drama queen…”

Pitch looked like he was going to retort with something nasty. But he stopped himself, harshly biting his lip. Tooth had the decency to feel a bit concerned as a vein visibly throbbed in his temple, and the tendons in his neck visibly tightened and released rapidly. He finally growled and threw his arms up.

“That’s it, I give up.” He said flatly. 

And like a train rolling over some unfortunate road-kill, Pitch started slithering off of Tooth at a steady pace. Tooth yelped as his scales scraped and slithered over her body until the weight started to ease up and let her up. She quickly pushed his tail away once the sectioning was thin and light enough, and jumped into the air to prevent yet another pinning.

“What is your problem?” she said sharply.

Pitch didn’t even look at her, “I have a headache, I am going to sleep.” He gritted out. 

He slithered for the shade of the small alcove near the tree, and Tooth frowned at his flat yet frustrated tone.

She sighed, “Look, Pitch, I’m sorry, I was only tease-”

“We are not going to discuss this,” Pitch said as he _carefully_ curled up under his tree and flopped sulkily into his coils, “And unless you want to aggravate my headache further, leave, or I’ll test that theory of birds having hollow bones on you.”

Tooth blinked, stunned. But then she felt outraged. What was his problem? She only tickled him! It wasn’t like she was trying to yank a scale – or hell, a vital organ – out of his body! 

She sighed, suddenly finding a headache of her own.

 _‘Just let him cool off, and go back to work…’_ she thought, _‘He’ll probably feel better by lunch anyways, THEN you can annoy him.’_

Rubbing her forehead, Tooth looked around until she spotted the scale Pitch gave her. She carefully picked it up, studying it briefly. It would have been a lovely scale if it wasn’t so dull and dusty looking…

She suddenly frowned, forlorn. She kind of did jump the gun by… _tickling_ him of all things. It didn’t even seem to register just how weird it was until she had calmed. And now that he was off a distance and she was no longer feeling mischievous, she felt both quite embarrassed and ashamed. She likely screwed up any chance of befriending Pitch in any way. She didn’t know him well, but she knew Pitch wasn’t a very physical person. He had few Believers, and therefore wasn’t seen or touched as much as she and the Guardians were. He was probably both terrified yet longing for touch. And now he likely wasn’t going to look her in the eye anymore…

 _‘Great…’_ she thought. Groaning, Tooth gave Pitch one last forlorn look before flitting out of the ravine to get back to work.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Hours later, by mid-day, Tooth returned to the ravine carrying a tray of assorted foods. She had recently sent out some of her fairies to pick up some more food better suited to Pitch’s taste. Though she openly cringed at the lean chicken cuts on the platter – both cooked and raw. She made sure to hold the tray as far away from her as possible and made a point in not looking at the bird meat.

 _‘If he doesn’t eat this, I swear…’_ she didn’t even want to think about it. Maybe next time her fairies can pick up beef or pork…

She touched down to the ravine – all of which was mostly shrouded in shadows and shady areas as the sun made its slow creep across the sky, shifting the shadows in long stretches. And Pitch was still lying curled up under his tree…

Frowning, she set the tray on a rock and flitted over to him. She hovered over his body and cocked her head curiously.

“Uh, Pitch?” her meek inquiry yielded no response – he really seemed to be dead asleep. 

“Pitch.” She tried again, this time poking his arm. This got her a groan and a shift in his tail and body, “Pitch, I brought lunch. Are you hungry? You should probably eat after…”

She cleared her throat, not bothering to finish the sentence. The last thing she wanted was for Pitch to not only wake up in a bad mood, but also with a fully heated grudge over her recent ‘assault’ on him.

“Ugh…go away…” he rasped. Tooth winced. By the Moon, he sounded horrible…

“Pitch, do you not feel well? Are you getting sick?” she asked worriedly, placing a palm to his forehead.

He sluggishly swatted her hand away and rolled over so his face was buried in his tail.

“No, now go away, I am tired…”

Frowning, Tooth crossed her arms, unsure. On one hand, she could leave him to rest. Likely he was worn out from his rather vigorous howling and shrieking – she certainly would be if it were her. But on the other, he might feel better – and sound better – once he ate. It could not be healthy lugging around all that extra weight in his tail with barely any muscle or nutrients in his system. 

“Pitch, come on, you need to eat,” She said, pushing gently at his shoulder, “I brought meat this time.”

“Oh joy…” was the sarcastic reply. Tooth pouted.

“Pitch, come on, I mean it, you need to eat something,” she said, casting a weary look at his thin torso, “It’s not healthy staying like this…”

“I’ve been ‘like this’ for centuries now, what’s another few hundred?” Pitch growled.

Tooth groaned, becoming impatient. But she wasn’t going to snap at the crabby Boogeyman. That would only start up yet another pointless argument that would leave them both storming off, waiting for the other to cool down, and maybe make up – or start a new argument. 

“Pitch, look…” she sighed, “If you eat just a little something, I promise I will leave you alone for the rest of the day – until dinner at least.”

She got no reply at first, and she thought he had gone back to sleep or was ignoring her. But she startled slightly when a groggy voice muttered from the pile of scales to her.

“You’re not going to leave unless I cooperate…” it wasn’t a question, but it wasn’t said like a statement either. Tooth shook her head.

“No, I’m not,” she said, before crossing her arms, “And you can sit on me all you want, I’m not going anywhere until you eat something.”

She was surprised to hear a low, brief chuckle from Pitch – likely he was envisioning ‘sitting’ on Tooth again and found the mental image humorous. Tooth was almost inclined to smack him in the back of the head. Although, it was a rather funny mental image; even to her…

“Fine…” Tooth fluttered backwards to give Pitch room as he uncurled himself and stretched.

While she may have ogled stupidly at his rather lewd moaning and stretching, Tooth was actually quite concerned about her being able to easily count Pitch’s ribs and vertebra as he stretched his body. Even his shoulder blades were prominent like small wings on his back as he pushed his arms over his head…

Sighing, Pitch’s trembling body loosened and slumped, shoulders sagging. He brought his hands up to knead at his forehead, grimacing.

“Are you okay…?” Tooth asked tentatively. 

“I already told you; I have a headache…” Pitch grumbled.

“That was hours ago though.” 

“Yes, well, when you’re me, you don’t have many reasons to laugh so uproariously,” he said nonchalantly, “Sadly, when and if I get worked up like that, my body won’t agree – just ask my screaming head.”

Tooth winced, trying and failing not to look guilty and putout. She could see the logic though; Pitch wasn’t exactly a ball of chuckles – aside from his creepy evil laughs or low chuckles, she has never known Pitch to actually laugh. With how worked up she got him, body tense and blood rushing through him in a way his body was just not used to, he was likely tired and pained right now. 

Part of her was glad she also brought hot tea for them – it would hopefully sooth his headache and relax him a bit. But the other part was still quite embarrassed that Pitch had a more lasting result from their latest encounter. 

“Well…” she started, gesturing to the tray, “Maybe some food and a hot drink will make you feel better.”

Pitch didn’t say anything, only offered a noncommittal sound and sluggishly slithered to the food tray. He settled once again in a sitting position on a thicker section of his tail, and immediately went for the tea. Tooth tried not to look mildly surprised when he chugged the whole thing down, then went for her own cup and drained it as well. Once both were empty, he set them aside and attacked the taller glasses of water.

“Um…” Tooth muttered, sheepish, “A bit thirsty?”

Again, he didn’t grace the fairy with a reply. Instead his narrowed eyes scanned the assorted foods before locking onto the offered meat. He blinked owlishly, pointing to the raw slivers of chicken.

“What is that?” he hissed lowly. Tooth felt a slight irritation at his tone and manners, but chose not to react to it. Yet.

“Chicken…” she said, almost cringing at the word.

“Why is it _raw?_ ”

Becoming a bit flustered, Tooth sat on her knees across from Pitch, trying not to look at the dead fowl, “Um…I wasn’t sure if you preferred raw or cooked meat, so…” she trailed off.

Pitch just gave her a flat look, slowly raising one brow. She felt her feathers bristle indignantly.

“It’s safer and cleaner than wild birds! For all I know, you’ll probably like it!” she was babbling now, she knew it. And it wasn’t exactly helping her flustered and frazzled state.

She found herself pinned by his blank stare. And each moment that passed with his amber eyes boring into her, the hotter her face felt and the more tense she became. She became fed up with his almost patronizing look and threw up her hands.

“What!?” she snapped.

Pitch blinked, as if he wasn’t expecting the reaction. Tooth felt herself panting through clenched teeth – she would later scold herself for the tooth abuse – and vaguely wondered just how stupidly un-ladylike she looked right now. 

The Boogeyman blinked slowly before crossing his arms loosely, leaning back into his coils, “I am just surprised.”

Tooth blinked, suddenly unsure as she lowered her arms, “Surprised…?” she inquired tentatively. 

He nodded, “It’s bird isn’t it?”

More blinking, “Uh…well, yeah. Why?”

Pitch shrugged, eying the meat curiously, “Nothing, I am just a bit surprised you would actually procure something that’s virtually your more primitive cousin.” 

_‘…did he seriously just compare me to a chicken?’_ Tooth thought flatly.

Part of her was insulted, but a more urgent side of her prompted her to stop and think about what he had said. He was surprised she – or more her fairies – had gone far enough for him to get him a food item that could very well insult, if not disgust, them to a degree. 

Was…was he seriously concerned about that? He wasn’t even touching it, just giving the meat – both raw and coked – a mildly contemplative look. His eyes shifted between her and the plate every now and again, as if he were trying to gauge a proper reading on her towards the matter. He was trying to…what? Be polite? Discreet? Or Moon forbid; considerate?

If it wasn’t for the fact that she hadn’t even touch any food or drink yet, Tooth would have wondered if one of her fairies had played a prank and put something in her food to make her think like this – or maybe they put something in Pitch’s drinks. 

But there was no thinking around it; Pitch actually wasn’t going to touch anything on the tray until she responded. He was putting his stubbornness to a rather…unique use. It was rather humbling actually, and it made Tooth want to smile.

It wasn’t until his mouth thinned and he gave Tooth a questioning look that she realized she was, in fact, smiling at him.

“What…?” he asked lowly.

“Hm? Oh! Nothing!” Tooth chirped, her mood suddenly lightened, “And really, it is okay if you…eat it…”

And it was, she just wasn’t going to feel very comfortable all the same though. People ate birds; period. Didn’t means he had to agree. She was a vegetarian, and the only real protein she ate was fish on occasion. 

But Pitch made no move to take any of the offered food. Instead he turned his eyes downcast to the platter, and reached out for a plain roll. Relaxing, Tooth didn’t probe any further and reached for her fruit salad.

“Fish.” 

She startled slightly at the sudden comment and looked up at Pitch. He was nonchalantly chewing on a bite of the roll, staring at the edge of the tray flatly. She almost thought he didn’t say anything until he swallowed and looked at her.

“Um, what?” she asked.

“Fish,” he repeated, “I hate pork, beef is not something I care for very much, and fowl is boring. So if you are so determined on me eating something other than bread, fish will do.”

Tooth blinked owlishly, stunned. Pitch though made no further comment and reached for a few wedges of apple. She vaguely noted he was eating a bit better than last time, and took that as a good sign of him regaining his health. And what he said…fish…

She smiled slightly at him again, relieved. He could play macho picky-eater all he wanted, but she knew he didn’t just narrow his food choice down to one thing for his own benefit. She was quite touched at his subtle consideration.

Nodding, she made a mental note to have some of her fairies locate a good fish-market later on. They ate in silence then; not a comfortable silence, but it wasn’t tense or uncomfortable either.

That night, Pitch declined dinner, saying his stomach was a bit sore from lunch. He waved off her concerns and went to sleep early – around seven –while Tooth bid him a meek goodnight and flew up to her coop. Baby Tooth was in charge of tooth-gathering direction tonight, which meant she got to settle down into her nest for the night.

But before she settled in, she took out the dull black scale Pitch gave her and looked it over curiously.

It was still as dull as ever, lacking any shine and rough like a cat’s tongue. Even when submerged in water, it gave no luster or shine. And she was supposed to polish it…

“Maybe some oil…” she muttered. She selected one of her scented oils from her nightstand – sandalwood, one of her favorites. 

For about an hour, she rubbed at the scale with a silk cloth and dabs of the oil. When she was done, nothing had changed. She was quite disappointed, but knew this wasn’t going to be a one-time thing. Polishing anything often took days, if not weeks. And in this case, it might take months, or it might not even happen at all.

Sighing, she set the scale, oil, and rag on her nightstand before settling into her nest. Her hands hurt from the vigorous rubbing, but she was pleasantly tired now.

 _‘Tomorrow…’_ she thought with a yawn, _‘Tomorrow I’ll talk to him more and go from there…’_

Mentally setting herself, she curled up into her pillow laden bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

She didn’t notice the hunched over figure in her window, not even as it fled…

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God this chapter feels so corny...! Kill me! lol   
> Enjoy!


	11. Chapter 11

A week went by after Pitch and Tooth’s rather odd encounter, and both were left to the mundane ebb and flow of a routine. Tooth would bring breakfast, lunch, and dinner down with her and Pitch – all mostly consisting of the lighter varieties, and Pitch’s requested dishes. He was slowly building a healthier appetite and starting to eat more, much to Tooth’s relief. Though he still ate little, and left most of everything Tooth brought on his plate, it was progress to her.

What wasn’t progress though, was her scale polishing. She has been polishing Pitch’s scale every night for the entire week, and yet no progress seemed to be made on it. She even tried various polishes; from oils, to metal shiners, and even diamond polish – nothing made the dull scale shine. It made Tooth wonder if Pitch was as still (or ever was) willing to let her in as he made out to be…

Sitting up in her room, the fairy queen regarded the small scale in the palm of her hands, at a loss. Her hands ached from the constant rubbing over it, and the rag she was using was becoming worn and threadbare. And yet, no stains were left on it from the blackness covering the scale – a sure sign of just how little progress she was making. 

She sighed, “Why is this so difficult? Why is _he_ so damn difficult?” she muttered.

Maybe she needed advise – at least, this is what she thought moments ago before she realized she had no way of explaining her situation to any of her friends. What could she say? Hey, I’ve been keeping Pitch virtually hostage in my home for the past two weeks or so, and I’m at a loss on how to befriend him – any ideas? She had a better chance of yanking out one of Jack’s teeth…

Speaking of which…

“Hey Tooth!” called a familiar voice.

Tooth startled, feathers perked up in alertness. Quickly hiding the scale under her pillow, she got up and flitted out her door and into the busy aerial traffic of hardworking fairies. And out on the main plateau, Tooth spotted a familiar speck of blue and white chatting animatedly with Baby Tooth.

Out of sight from the two, Tooth bit her lip. Great, Jack was here. Why? Did the others send him to check up on her again? He hasn’t seen her yet, and he wasn’t acting like there was a big emergency going on. Maybe he just stopped by for a visit…

“There you are!” gasping, Tooth looked up as the thought of frost sprite caught a current of wind and glided over to her. She had been so distracted that she hadn’t noticed some of her fairies pointing her out.

“Hey Tooth! Where you been all this time?” Jack chirped, landing on a jutting spire in font of Tooth.

“Uh…” how eloquent. She was speechless; again, “I was, uh…”

“Working hard as usual?” Jack teased with a cocked brow.

“Yes!” Tooth blurted, seeming to regain herself a bit, “Yes, yes, I was – I mean, have been. It’s uh…been a crazy year it seems. For teeth, I mean.”

“Geez, no kidding. Seriously, you should have seen this kids wrestling match I saw yesterday! It was insane, I thought they were going to lose all their teeth and-”

Tooth seemed to zone out, withdrawing into her own head unintentionally as Jack yammered on about something. It was odd; normally she was so attentive when it came to Jack – or rather, his mouth. But somehow, all she could real think about now was Pitch. What had she gotten herself into? She was at one point almost deadest on making this work, but now she was wondering if there was even any point to it. 

Did Pitch even have any friends? A part of her was optimistic and reasoned other dark spirits maybe liked him. But on the other hand, she was doubtful – people could like someone, but that person just may not want friends. Pitch was definitely a loner type to her. He wasn’t so much on the mean or rude spectrum, but rather the kind of person who would use methods to push people away; either because it was all he knew, or he simply didn’t want people close to him. Though why, she wasn’t sure. Maybe he was scared, or maybe he just was not used to being treated like…well, like a _person…_

 _‘Oh Pitch…’_ and now she was in a somewhat committed bargain that could end with either one of them kissing their sanity right on the ass goodbye. 

“Tooth? Hey? Did you hear me?”

Startled from her resolve, Tooth turned wide amethyst eyes to a concerned looking Jack. Somehow during the one-sided conversation, Bab Tooth had joined them and was perched comfortably on Jack’s shoulder, both giving her concerned looks. 

“Oh! Uh, I’m sorry, what now? I uh, kind of zoned out…” Tooth said lamely.

Baby Tooth rolled her eyes, while Jack quirked a curious brow at her.

“You said Pitch’s name a minute ago.” He elaborated.

Blinking, it took a moment for Jack’s words to sink in. And when they did, she wanted to hit herself. Was she so spaced out in her own mind that she didn’t even notice she said the name of the Guardians’ number one enemy? By the way Baby Tooth was looking at her, the answer was yes. And it was _infuriating…_

“Um, r-right, Pitch, um…” she faltered, unable to come up with an excuse. She was a terrible liar too. It was this reason alone she never attended the boys’ poker night due to her lack of a poker face. Well, that and Sandy cheated. He was a _cheater…_ *

A light bulb suddenly went off in her head, and she regarded Jack critically. From what she gathered, Jack was one of the few Guardians who felt sympathy for Pitch. He was also the only one to have a real one on one confrontation with him, and to get a small bit of insight on the Boogeyman – well as close to an honest confrontation with him as one could get. It took him a while, but he eventually did tell them about their encounter in Antarctica, and it left them all with mixed feelings – mostly outrage at the man hurting Jack, and relief for Jack turning down his offer to team up. 

But not long after that, he eventually started talking about Pitch to her and Sandy – only the two because he didn’t want North getting any wrong ideas, and Bunny was just a bad choice to get things off your chest to. And from what she gathered, he did not hold the same resentment the others held for Pitch. She couldn’t say he liked him, but he felt for him all the same…

“Tooth…?” Jack asked carefully, noticing her odd stare.

Blinking, Tooth shook herself from her stupor, deftly landing on the spire to sit across from Jack. Folding her hands on her lap, she looked up at the frost sprite and spoke in a slightly nervous and meek tone.

“Jack, what do you think of Pitch?” she asked.

The frost sprite seemed rather stunned – a terrible word to describe the utterly bewildered and startled expression on his face. He slowly blinked owlishly, as if trying to refresh his sight and confirm that, no, she did not ask what he thought of Pitch, because that would be so weird. 

But no, turns out she did ask him this. And he was having a shocking amount of trouble comprehending her words and their meaning. _What did he think of Pitch?_ Where did this even come from? 

Maybe he should open his mouth and ask instead of just dumbly stewing in it…

“Why…erm, what do you mean?” he asked meticulously.

Tooth bit her lip, suddenly unsure. Well, she already said it, she might as well elaborate…subtly. Like hell she was going to actually tell him what was going on in her home. Jack may be a good friend, but with something like this, he would not hesitate to fly off and tell the others about anything having to do with Pitch. She had to play her cards carefully and meticulously.

“I mean…” she paused, trying to find the right words, “It’s just that, I’ve been thinking about, well, how he’s our enemy…”

“Okay…” Jack nodded slowly, still quite lost. Tooth cleared her throat. 

“I mean, even before you came along, the Guardians and I have always been fighting him,” she continued – she was slowly building confidence as a proper explanation started to form in her head, “And it’s always the same – we fight, someone is usually in danger, we win, he goes to stew up a new plan, and it all repeats after maybe a few centuries.”

Again, Jack nods, but he seems contemplative, as if he was catching onto what Tooth was trying to say. She mentally sent Bunny a snarky comment on how he always thought of the sprite as a ‘brainless show-pony’. 

“And it’s…it’s just getting old – and he’s getting bolder. You remember how he stole my fairies…”

A scowl creased Jack’s brow, nearly perfectly matching Baby Tooth’s. Somehow she had restrained herself from coming into the conversation, which Tooth was thankful for, but it showed how displeased she was with the whole thing in her face. 

“I mean, and it’s not like he wasn’t already offered a Guardianship, but-”*

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, wait,” Jack interrupted, holding his hands up. He gave Tooth a critical look, brows raised in shock, “ _Pitch_ was offered to be a _Guardian?_ ”

Tooth blinked, taken aback, “We never mentioned it?”

“Uh, no. I think I would remember if you told me our worst enemy had been offered a Guardianship of all things. When was this?” Jack leaned forward in anticipation, both slightly put out yet curious about this new information. Oh the trials of being a teenage spirit…

“Um…well, it happened centuries ago, when Santoff Clausen was just being built actually,” Tooth said, before creasing he brows thoughtfully, “I think it was somewhere around the 15th century or so, maybe further back…”

“But…he’s the _Nightmare King,_ ” Jack said, “Why would the Moon make him a Guardian?”

Tooth herself had asked that same question, despite her willingness to give him a chance. But at the same time, she wasn’t too certain of the Moon’s logic – or lack thereof – in making Pitch of all people a Guardian. He just didn’t have that… _thing_ …that made herself and the others Guardians. He had fear, darkness, and malice in place of their dreams, wonder, and hope. Add to that, he and Sandy had had a huge falling out during that time, and he was quite opposed to the matter. Bunny had kept himself completely out of the conversation for the sole reason that he was sure it was not going to work out – that and North was afraid he was going to attack the dark man; the Pooka stayed in his Warren during the encounter, and later gloated for five hundred years on how he was right about the whole thing.* 

Tooth smoothed a few feathers on her thigh, regarding Jack helplessly, “I honestly don’t know, Jack. Part of me thinks he could have done _something_ good for the world, but the other just…well, is thinking what you’re thinking. He’s the Nightmare King, what could he do to make kids happy? But I guess that’s not what North or the Moon saw.”

“North? He actually _agreed_ to it?” Jack asked, disbelieving.

“This happened ages ago, things were not as tense between us back then,” Tooth explained with a shrug, “And yes, he did. Like he is now, he believes in second chances and redemption. He believes everyone has the power to change themselves for the better. It just takes the right amount of strength and courage to do so – or so he says. But he agreed with Manny, and strove to get Pitch on our side. But…”

“But…?” Jack probed, virtually on the edge of his seat. Tooth smiled; she would always hold a soft spot for Jack’s childlike eagerness.

But it fell into something more rueful, “They had words, and somewhere in there, Pitch heard something he did not want to hear. He got very upset, rejected the offer, and stormed out. We wouldn’t see him for almost a thousand years after that, and when we did…we noticed a change in him.”

“I’m guessing it wasn’t a good one…” Jack said. Tooth shook her head.

“No. He seemed…well, I’ll say this. Back then, Pitch was…well, almost a bit like you in his attitude.”

“What?” Jack rasped, Baby Tooth puffing up in aggravation. 

“Not like you in that way! I mean, he was…more free, I suppose,” She explained, “He was mischievous, malicious in a morbidly humorous way, and usually laughed things off with a cool wave of the hand and a plan for some minor revenge later. He was just…he wasn’t like he is today. Now, you know him as this cold, cruel, and angry thing, right?”

“Not to mention insane…”

“Well, maybe, but my point is, is that I think something happened to him to make him how he is now,” Tooth said, “Before, yes, we would fight, but it was never as vicious as today. Our last battle was almost the absolute worst we’ve seen him. At first he was just an annoyance and something we could forgive and forget later…”

“But now he’s just the type of person you _just_ want to forget…?” Jack asked carefully. Again, Tooth nods.

“It’s hard to explain, but during the time he was gone, we actually worried for him. But then one day he shows up in a small town in London, and he was absolutely _mad_. People were scared for no reason now, people were going insane in their own fears, fighting and running from things not there, they were even scared of spirits like us…”

She shook her head sadly, “We got into a fight – a real fight. We tried to reason with him, to bring him to some sense of stability – I even tried to get to him by bringing up that boy…”*

“Boy? What boy?” Jack asked.

“Pitch…he was seen and followed by a little boy many, many centuries ago. He was a poor boy, no home, no money, no family…back then, people saw many things as a sign of evil. Cleft-lips were one, and he was unfortunate to be born with the deformity. But he saw Pitch and they just…I won’t say became friends, but they had something between them. But…as fear increased, and the line between logic and fear began to blur…” she shook her head, eyes watering.

“What did they do?” Jack probed, though he had a suspicion. He just wanted Tooth to deny it.

She looked up at him mournfully, her hands clenching together, as if in the phantom remembrance of something she once held in her hands that was no longer there.

“He was killed,” she said softly, “Burnt at the stake after being accused of witch craft. He was just a boy. We didn’t even know his name – he didn’t have one as far as we knew. And when I told Pitch he was gone…he _laughed_.”

That laugh – that cruel, heartless, hysterical cackle would always be imprinted onto Tooth’s very mind for the rest of her life. It always left her with chills, and a broken heart. For how could anyone find the death of a child funny? How could he have said such things about that boy? A boy who believed in the Boogeyman and followed the shade for such a long time? How could he have just turned his back on someone who believed so hard in him, who saw him as a guide – a protector? 

“…and then what?” Jack asked, oddly calm. 

She sighed, “I got so angry. We all did. And we attacked him. We held nothing back this time. All thoughts of forgiveness were gone…and he fell.”

Jack nodded, wide eyes still locked onto Tooth, as if he expected more. And so Tooth continued.

“He was so weakened, he was a literal shadow of his former self. And I think that’s when he really broke. He was desolate, but still fought to spread fear no matter what. We wouldn’t see him for a few more centuries, around the Great Depression.* But by then, it wasn’t a fight, just a few sightings of him here and there, causing only minor problems; fear of rats, fear of getting lost, fear of disease…and whenever he’d spot us, he’d vanish. We thought…we sometimes thought it was a ghost. Never had Pitch run from us up until then. He would just vanish into the shadows, and there would be years, decades, put between each sighting, until we stopped seeing him. We thought he was truly gone once the Dark Ages went out…”

“And by gone, you mean…?”

Hesitantly, Tooth nodded, “Stories of the Boogeyman became just that; stories. Remains from long forgotten lore and past memories. The very bones of a dead spirit. And we…”

 _‘We didn’t even mourn him…’_ she thought, suddenly feeling sick. 

“We moved on,” She said instead, stonily, “Then the Nightmare War happened. You know the rest.”

Jack nodded, breaking his eyes off Tooth to stare down at his crossed legs. It was silent for a good few minutes, neither speaking – they did not know what to say. What could they say? Tooth herself was wondering just that, and asking herself just why she and the others had forgotten so easily. How could they so easily just move one with the thought that a fellow spirit was possibly dead and forgotten? How could they just forsake him like that? Pitch was a fighter, but knew when he had to flee. But recently, his own morals have been erased. He no longer was a true shadow king. That fire was long since gone, and she helped the others extinguish it…

_“Fight of flight!”_

Did they have a choice in the matter? Technically, yes, they did. They could have chosen to either let him continue to do what he was doing and watch as the world and humanity slowly collapsed in one itself. Or they could have fought. She tried to reason with him; she tried.

But did she try hard enough…?

“I think he’s lonely…”

Tooth looked up at Jack, surprised at his sudden words, “What?”

Jack shrugged, not looking at Tooth. His knees were drawn up to his chest, his chin resting on the knobby caps. His bony toes curled against the golden floor, his eyes distant. 

“I mean, I kind of get it…” he said, “Forever’s kind of a long time to be alone and resented for something you just do without real explanation. Not everyone likes winter, but it still happens, and enough people like it…”

Bunnymund suddenly came to Tooth’s mind. He was not a winter person; he was a spring and summer kind of spirit. Warm weather, light rain showers on occasion, flowers, sunshine, life. He did not like the calm and chilled silence of winter. To him, the slow and silent season of winter felt hopeless, whereas the lively, loud, and colorful seasons of summer and spring gave him life and hope. It was such an odd contrast if she were honest. Jack was anything but calm or quiet, and Bunny was anything but loud and full of sunshine. 

Pitch though…while not everyone liked the cold, _no one_ liked being afraid. Not for others, and not for themselves. Safety and calm were what people strove for in life. Occasional scares and excitement were a part of life, but no one liked to have it for long periods of time. And certainly no one liked Nightmares so dark and crushing as the ones Pitch spread. The kind of Nightmares that have even adults waking up in tears and wanting to hide under the covers of their bed. 

Pitch was an embodiment of something resented and loathed. What kind of existence was that, Tooth wondered. To be hated for being born, for simply _being_. 

“Hey Tooth…?” Jack started meekly.

“Yes?”

“Do you…” Jack paused, uncertainty flitting across his face, as well as a twinge of fear. Tooth had to wonder if Pitch could sense it from where they sat, and knew of Jack’s arrival. It wouldn’t surprise her; she was just glad he couldn’t get out of the ravine. 

“Do you think…if given enough time, if I were still left alone…would I end up just like Pitch?” Jack asked.

Vertigo nearly toppled Tooth as Jack’s words sunk in. She barely caught herself by bunching her hands over a cluster of feathers on her thighs, the pain bringing her back from her resolve. 

“I…what do you mean?” was all she could ask. She was too stunned to come up with much else. 

“I mean, Pitch is like he is because he’s…well, he’s nuts, but also because people just didn’t like him and didn’t see him,” Jack explained, “And he resented you guys for getting all this power and belief, while he’s left to some scraps of it. I mean, I’ll admit, for a while I resented you guys too for being seen while I was just a ghost to the world…”

The admission nearly sent Tooth reeling once more, but it also sent a pang into her heart. The other Guardians never did fully forgive themselves for being so ignorant of Jack –of other spirits for that matter. They were working on improving their attitudes, and it was slow progress, but as long as Jack was proud of the effort, they would live with it. 

“What I’m trying to say is, is if you all just kind of left me to my own for a few more centuries…do you think I’d become like Pitch? Angry, cynical, just evil?” he asked.

 _How do I respond to this_ , was Tooth’s immediate thought. And really, how did she? She could not predict events that could or would have been. And even if she could, she wasn’t sure if she would willingly tell Jack if the results were anything but good. She could just imagine it; a hateful, spiteful Jack with a heart of solid ice, just as vengeful and hell-bent as Pitch. She could shockingly see a clear image of the two working together to bring her and the Guardians down; cold and dark, as one, ridding the world of the light.

She shuddered. How she could even see it so easily baffled her. Was she so distrustful of Jack? Of Pitch? Granted, Pitch wasn’t exactly a trustworthy saint, but still. She wanted to fix that. And if she couldn’t even put a smidge of faith in Jack, what hope did she have of doing the same with Pitch?

 _‘What is happening to me…?’_ she wondered dazedly. She couldn’t recall a time she ever thought so deeply about something that didn’t have to do with teeth. It was giving her a headache. And heartache…

“Jack…” She started. She reached over and took his hands in hers. She looked him dead in the eyes…

“I honestly can’t see you being like Pitch in any way, shape, or form, no matter what happens to you.”

And lied straight to his face. 

It nearly made her sick, and the calm reassurance she saw in his eyes was enough to make bile rise up into her throat. Jack gave her a small smile after a moment, but something in his eyes seemed to close off. She swallowed as that stiff smile sent cold needles into her stomach; he couldn’t know if she lied, could he?

“Thanks, Tooth.” He said. Silently, he stood up and slipped his hands out of hers, his staff leaned casually against one shoulder. 

“I needed that. And thanks for telling me about him. It…puts him in a better light, in my opinion.” He said.

Tooth smiled carefully, standing as well, “No problem, Jack. You’re welcome to my Palace anytime you want. Even if it’s just to hang out or talk, okay?”

“Sure,” Jack said. He stretched briefly, before rising into the air, “Well, I better get out of here. Getting a bit warm for me. I’ll see you later?”

“Of course.”

“Good. We haven’t seen you around much, so don’t work too hard,” Jack said, turning to leave, “Oh…” he suddenly paused, turning back to Tooth with an odd look on his face.

“Are you feeling alright by the way?” he asked. Tooth blinked, confused.

“Yeah, why?” she asked. Jack shrugged.

“Well you haven’t jumped at me to look at my teeth yet, so I was just wondering if you were feeling sick or something.” He said.

Again, she blinks owlishly in a stunned stupor. But receiving no reply from her, Jack shrugged again waved to her and Baby Tooth.

“Well, as long as you’re okay, see ya! You too Baby Tooth!” and in a gale of powerful wind, he was gone. 

Tooth stood where she was in stunned silence, trying to comprehend just what was passed between her and Jack. First was an overly intense conversation, followed by a history lesson on Pitch and the Guardians, followed by Jack’s admission to being frightened of being like Pitch, and now…now she has realized just how unfocused she was on Jack’s teeth.

“What is _happening_ to me…?” she wondered aloud. 

She sighed, exasperated, and slumped back against one of the coiled pillars around the plateau. She rubbed her forehead tiredly and looked up at Baby Tooth. The fairy was giving her a look of oddly mixed emotions consisting of concern and exaggeration. 

“It’s me, isn’t it? I’m the one going crazy, right?” she asked. Baby Tooth rolled her eyes, chirping about how dramatic Tooth was being. 

Tooth smiled tiredly, sighing again and shutting her eyes to compose herself. The pillar felt oddly warm against her back, and not as hard as she recalled it to be. Actually…it was close to soft almost, with just the faintest bit of give to it. And…and was it _moving?_

“I must say…” an accented voice droned.

“Huh? AH!” Tooth startled and shot away from the pillar as said pillar started to _move_ and coil around its base.

Hovering over the platform, Tooth spun around with a startled Baby Tooth on her heels to the source of the odd occurrence. And there Pitch was, in all his serpentine glory, wound neatly around the gold pillar like he belonged there. Arms crossed over his chest, he slithered further up until he was at eye level with Tooth, a smug smirk stretching his lips. 

“That was quite a…riveting…stroll down memory lane.” He finished.

Tooth, eyes wide in shock and a faint bit of terror, quickly smoothed her feathers down and gaped at Pitch. Baby Tooth only scowled at him, chirping angrily at him.

“How…?” she rasped, shaking her head, “How did you get up here…!?”

“I honestly didn’t think I would make it this far,” Pitch said nonchalantly, “But it seems young Frost’s insecurity on his image allowed me some speck of power, and I was able to use a shadow to get onto a platform. I just slithered my way here the rest of the way.”

Again, Tooth can only stare in confusion. Pitch rolled his eyes.

“It seems the reason I couldn’t use my powers before was because there was not a speck of fear within a certain distance of me. Were I at my peak of power, I would be fine and could use my powers planets away,” he explained, “But seeing as I am rather weakened, and your palace is miles away from any civilization, and therefore any fear, I’m powerless unless I pick some up within range. Ergo, one Jack Frost.”

“Wait…” Tooth held her hands up, trying to process the information, “You mean…you’re powerless because you’re too far from anyone feeling fear?”

“Correct,” Pitch droned, before casting a scathing look to Baby Tooth, “And for whatever reason, you nor your fairies fear me, so therefore I can’t get energy and power from them. I hadn’t noticed when the Guardians had come by the first time – I was under water after all and in my own state – so this was only a temporary fix.”

Almost dumbly, Tooth nods. It…made sense in a way. It was still so strange though. When she looked at Pitch, she saw a powerful entity no matter what state he was in. To see him, and hear him, admit to this new fault was amazing to her. It certainly explained why he was so close to a human population; it was how he got his fear. He acted like a well. Whatever was spilled in stayed, but if the well can’t be reached…

 _‘It dries up…’_ she thought. Shaking her head in near disbelief, she hovered down closer to the floor and regarded Pitch.

“How close do you need to be to someone to…get power?” she asked.

Pitch seemed to take a moment to think about her question, his eyes growing hazy and distant. She had to wonder if he was mentally reaching out as far as he could for any traces of fear. Perhaps animal fear didn’t affect him like human fear. Base fears were rational and instinctual, unlike the more potent human’s irrational fears and anxieties. 

After a moment, Pitch frowned and blinked, his sight more focused and attention regained.

“I’d say about within about three miles.” He muttered ruefully.

That’s it? No wonder he was so out of it this whole time; his radius was completely unorthodox! He wasn’t going to be getting any energy at all unless people came by, and even then that was rare, and the energy intake miniscule for him.

 _‘In other words, he’s stuck here unless I use a Snowglobe…’_ she thought, biting her lip. Great, what else could go wrong? 

She sighed, smoothing her crest back. She regarded Pitch again, this time in an observant manner. He certainly looked a smidge healthier than when she last saw him, more alive. He was still pale and gaunt, but there was a subtle hint of something to him that made him seem healthier. He wasn’t as jagged in places, and the dark smudges under his eyes were slightly fainter. All that from just a tiny hint of fear and insecurity that lasted, at best, a few minutes. 

A thought suddenly occurred to Tooth, and she looked over the edge of the plateau. It was a long drop; the platform she hovered on was at least a couple dozen stories off the ground. He likely teleported to one of the lower platforms, and slithered his way up to hers when she didn’t notice – how did she not notice? Better yet, how did Jack or Bab Tooth not notice? 

“How…” she looked back at him, frowning, “How exactly are you going to get down?”

“Hm, good question…” Pitch muttered, resting his chin in a hand thoughtfully, “I can climb up and down just fine, but I tire quickly and can lose my grip. I doubt a fall would kill me, but still, that would hurt quite a bit…”

He made it sound like he couldn’t decide what to wear that morning. Nonchalant, as if he wasn’t thinking about how terrible it would be to splatter like a watermelon tossed from a building and to the ground. She almost wanted to slap him –and then herself for putting up with him. 

“So then…?” she probed. He shrugged.

“I guess I’m bunking with you tonight then,” he said, shooting her a smirk, “Even if I made it to the ground, I can’t get back into the ravine without something to climb. It’s a sheer rock wall with nothing to grip, darling.”

Oh my god, she thought. He’s doing it again. He was _doing it_ again. Why? Why was he doing this to her? Why was she _falling_ for it? Why couldn’t he act like his ass-hole self and just frustrate her? It would be so much easier!

And _bunking?_ With _her?_ What did that even mean? It couldn’t mean what she thought it meant, that would imply-

“Toothiana…” the accented drawl snapped Tooth out of her little mental mini-panic then. She looked up at the serpentine man, eyes wide and mouth drawn in a thin line. He quirked a brow at her and put a fist on his hip.

“If you’re going to panic so much, do it in smaller doses. I can only take so much at once.” He said with a dry smirk.

Oh…oh she was not getting into this right now. Nope. Not happening. She was _done._

 _‘I am not mature enough for this!’_ she thought. And with that, she turned tail (quite literally) and flitted for her work station without another word. 

“Now wait a moment! Hang on!” Pitch called after her.

 _‘Nope, not doing this, I am just going back to work, and not dealing with this.’_ She thought – completely unaware of Pitch slithering from pillar to tower to follow her. 

Behind her, Pitch huffed as she continued to ignore him, “Well that’s rude. Whatever happened to my most gracious hostess?”

 _Not doing this,_ she wasn’t going to play his game, _ever._ He can follow her as much as he liked, but she was not going to get into this game again and _would it kill him to put a shirt on!?_

Growling, Pitch stopped and curled his tail up on the platform he found himself on, surrounded by gold and bejeweled pillars, and the working fairies oddly far off. He must be in a more scarce part of Tooth Palace. Baby Tooth had long since been shooed away by Tooth, but he was getting annoyed his her avoiding him. What was she going to do anyways? Keep flying around until he wore out and got lost? It wouldn’t surprise him…

He suddenly grinned as an idea popped into his head.

“You know, you never did explain why you brought me up to him.” he suddenly said.

She stopped suddenly, unable to help herself. She cursed herself for giving in so soon, but let herself turn to him. Tooth gave him an odd look, both annoyed yet curious, “What?”

“You asked him what he thought of me, and got an answer,” he said, almost curiously, “But you never explained why you brought that up. So I’ll ask – _why?_ ”

Tooth frowned, suddenly uncomfortable, “Why do you want to know? How much did you hear anyways…?”

A scoff, “Perhaps I’m curious. Perhaps I’m simply bored and want something to think about. It’s not exactly a party sitting down in the ravine all day. And really, I heard enough.”

Tooth bit her lip, suddenly a bit guilty and her previous resolve forgotten. He was right; it couldn’t be all that fun being down there all day with nothing to do. She made a mental note to ask him if there was anything he liked to do or read later. Maybe she could get some stuff from his lair – if the Nightmares were still piles of wet sand anyways. 

But his question; why? Why did she ask? What did she want to know? She actually had to ask herself the same question of why. And she had no answer whatsoever.

 _‘Don’t you though?’_ she bit her lip, regarding the Boogeyman thoughtfully. He stood by patiently yet anxiously, as if there was a restlessness in his bones he could not shake off. She definitely need to find something for him to do later.

“I…” she started, uncertain, “I think-”

“You _think?_ ”

“I _know!_ ” Tooth suddenly blurted, startling Pitch. She calmed after a moment, turning away from Pitch, “I know…that there are some redeeming qualities to you…”

“Oh really?” He drawled, disbelieving, “And what pray tell, what are some of these _redeeming_ qualities?”

Tooth paused, wondering if she was making the right decision in what she was going to say. Either way, she had already opened her mouth, and either dug her own hole or made her point.

“The boy…”

Pitch tensed, his scales rising and veins bulging in his neck. His eyes dilated into sharp slits, and he looked on the verge of snarling. But Tooth held her ground, mentally preparing herself for any form of attack; whether it was verbal or physical. 

Finally, Pitch spoke, but his words were acidic and venomous enough to match the serpentine body he now possessed. 

“That _boy_ …” he spat the word like he was tasting something foul, “Was _nothing_. He was merely a lost runt who had nothing better to do than to follow the Boogeyman until his end. He was a fool. Following fear incarnate, it’s no wonder he burned.”

He seemed suddenly done with his own game and made as if to leave. ButTooth wanted answers, and so caught him by his wrist and yanked him back. 

“How can you say that!?” Tooth snapped.

“Because it’s _TRUE!_ ” Pitch screamed, rising up onto his coils until he loomed over Tooth, slowly backing her into a pillar, “He was a fool! A pest! Nothing but a whelp of a mongrel pup that just could not stand the thought of being alone! So he resorted to following me around, clinging to me like a parasitic leech!”

Tooth’s back hit a pillar as she stared wide eyed up at the infuriated Boogeyman. Somewhere in her mind she wished she had her rapiers with her, while another part was actually becoming frightened of him. He loomed over her, chest heaving with erratic breath and wild, almost manic, eyes upon her.

“He died because he was a fool,” he rasped, fangs flashing, their noses nearly touching, “The only reason he was able to see me back then was because he feared me, and because of that, he died, and because he died – one, insignificant, worthless child – you all came after me, _when he was NOT my responsibility!_ ”*

Her heart was pounding in her ears, and her fear of this manic man – this beast – spiked. Pitch suddenly growled lowly in his throat, eyes rolling back. He snarled and lunged for her, Tooth snapping her eyes shut in fearful anticipation of a snake’s strike. But it never came. 

A puff of hot air brushed against her neck then, just against her pulse point. Opening her eyes just the slightest bit, she gasped as all she caught in her sight was the crest of dark hair just along the left side of her peripheral vision. 

His back stuttering and shoulders heaving, Pitch nearly moaned at the potent fear he was gaining from the fairy trapped in front of him, the smell of it permeating heatedly through her neck. It was the sweetest, most intoxicating thing he’d ever sensed, filling his senses with a tingling sensation that had him nearly sinking his teeth into that delicate neck. Oh how he wanted it, this fear he’s been deprived of for so long. He felt like a rabid animal, completely mindless and body full of nothing but sheer selfish instinct and desire. He opened his mouth, scenting the air, thick with Tooth’s fears and her own natural scent; like exotic flowers and warm tropical air. 

She gasped as one of his fangs touched her neck, her pulse jumping and fingers digging into the side of the pillar she was backed into. She shuddered as Pitch growled and buried his face into her neck, inhaling deeply. She felt faint, ready to pass out from…what? Fear? Anticipation? She didn’t know. All she knew was that she was in possible danger, but she _did not care._

Nuzzling her neck, Pitch sighed as his sanity seemed to slowly leak back into him. His vision wasn’t as fuzzy anymore, and his nerves were not as raw and exposed as they felt earlier. His body was still wound tight like a spring, but he didn’t feel like he was about to come undone at any minute and lose all control of himself. He felt reenergized, invigorated, yet so tired…*

Slowly, he pushed back from Tooth and left the confines of her neck, hands shaking and mouth dry. He felt shaky and weak suddenly, his bones turned to rubber and his muscles useless. He barely managed to keep himself upright on his tail, regarding the shaking fairy with glassy eyes. He opened his mouth, but said nothing. And after a moment, his mouth closed. He shook his head.

Without a word, he turned and slinked off for some place to think. He had a faint amount of energy – perhaps he could teleport back down to the ravine. Heaven knows he didn’t have the energy to go any further than that. So agreeing, he touched a shadow and got ready to leave.

“Pitch…” a crackled voice called softly, almost like a whisper.

He paused, but said nothing, nor did he turn around to meet Tooth’s gaze. Shakily, her voice somehow partly lost to her, Tooth spoke.

“Did he really mean so little to you…?” she asked.

Silence then. A long, tense moment of silence. Pitch’s hand was halfway through the crystalline pool of shadows, slowly growing weaker as he wasted energy on standing there. Without looking to her, he merely replied in a nonchalant, yet weary, tone.

“He was just another human boy,” he said, “He was nothing more, and nothing less. He was insignificant…”

And with that, he slinked into the shadow and appeared back in his – when did it become _his?_ – ravine. 

While back up in the spires, Tooth sunk to her knees in an exhausted pile, her bod shaking. That…was a lot more intense than she wanted it to be. But why? How could Pitch be so cold hearted? Were people really of so little matter to him? It was true, humans died every day, and many were children that the Guardians simply could not save. The world wasn’t a fairytale where everyone got a happy ending. If it was, there would be no need for the Guardians. But still, it did not mean she liked it, nor did she wish it were not true. 

But for him to so blatantly disregard that poor lost boy, after all they had been through, how much time they spent together…

Tooth sagged, curling her knees up to her chest like Jack had done only moments ago. 

Pitch was redeemable – _was_. But now…

 _‘Is there really anything left to save in him?’_ she wondered.

That evening, when she went to polish the scale, somehow it had become duller and harder.

**~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~**

There was no avoiding it. She was already hours late, and she could not put it off for any longer – no matter how much she wanted to. 

Armed with a platter of food, a few books from her own collection, and a rather shallow wit, Tooth descend into the ravine to deliver Pitch’s dinner. She had already eaten by herself hours ago, but had not the heart to face Pitch after their last encounter. What would she evens ay to him? What would he say to her? Likely she was going to have to suffer through some verbal abuse, perhaps some intimidation and acidic words. But no, she would brave the storm and leave with at least a half clear conscious. 

_‘Just an in and out thing…’_ she thought, descending further into the darkened crevice, _‘He might not even be hungry, maybe he’s brooding somewhere…’_

Reaching the bottom, she touched down and looked around the ravine. No sign of Pitch was anywhere to be seen; it was dark and cooler down there, the only source of light being the light blue glow of the oasis by the tree. She frowned, setting the tray down on a rock.

 _‘Where is he?’_ she wondered. 

“Pitch?” She called cautiously. No response, not even a lick of wind or a whisper. She grew worried; had he somehow gotten out of Tooth Palace? Was he still up in the spires? Had he left…?

She started slightly at a sound; it was pained, like the groan of a wounded animal. Turning this way and that, hands itching for her rapiers, she pause. A dark mass was at the base of the tree, just behind where Pitch usually slept and away from the pool’s glow. Carefully fluttering closer, she peered over one of the thick roots and down into the large pit behind it. 

She breathed a sigh of relief. Pitch was there, and asleep. Curled up in the pit in his coils, he was completely oblivious to his visitor. But her relief was short lived however, when that same noise reverberated from Pitch. His body shuddered and tensed, his brow creased as he struggled in the throes of a dream. But there was no Dreamsand hovering over his head, nor any Nightmare sand. But there was a foreboding aura around him, a cold, lonely feeling of isolation and hopelessness. 

“Pitch?” Tooth tried, hesitant to touch him.

But she paused in shock however, when through the tightly screwed eyes, a tear escaped and slid down a gaunt cheek. His mouth opened ever so slightly in a pained grimace, his whole body wracked with shudders.

“I-…‘m sorry…!” he muttered.

 _What?_ Tooth thought, stunned as she watched more tears fall down his cheeks and drip off his chin. A wretched sob escaped the Boogeyman then, and he gasped out,

“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…!”

Tooth couldn’t take it anymore. She fled the ravine, and flew straight for her own room. Landing on her bed, she held her hands to her mouth as she gasped in repressed emotions and startled confusion.

Pitch…had been crying. _Crying!_ Why? When? _How?_ Her brain screamed at her, demanding an answer to the shadow man’s tears. And what he was saying…

 _‘Who is he apologizing to?’_ she wondered franticly. 

It suddenly dawned on Toothiana then. What did she even know about Pitch? She knew next to nothing about him; what made him happy, what made him sad, what made him _hurt_ …

She didn’t even think the Boogeyman was _capable_ of tears – of real tears. It seemed to occur to her that his tears were not black. They had been clean, pure, completely devoid of any of that soul-sucking blackness she was so used to seeing in his eyes. That had been true pain; it had been Pitch in his most vulnerable and raw state. 

And it was _painful._

Sobbing, Tooth curled up in her bed, reaching under her pillow. She pulled out a small item wrapped in a gold silk cloth, and clutched it to her breast. She took comfort in the little thing, but just barely. It wasn’t same as before, when she used to hold it when she was distressed. It felt like the heaviest weight in her hands, faltering her even in her bed. 

An hour or so passed before she was able to fall into an unsteady sleep, the cloth and its occupant still held tightly in her hands.

Glowing eyes watched her from her window, the stout, hunched over figure grinning a gnarled tooth smile. He had found it. 

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update! And now some foot-notes - because they're fun lol For every * that you see, there is a fact connected tot he sentence or paragraph that it is stationed at. They are not numbered, but they correspond to each number in order. So the first is one, the second is two, and so on. Enjoy!
> 
> 1.) Sandy cheats at poker. Shut up. It IS canon. 
> 
> 2.) If you recall the Rufftoon comics, Pitch was indeed offered a Guardianship, so this story takes place during that time. Book and comic references. Yeah. Anyone know where I can buy these comics or should I just take the printer route?
> 
> 3.) Anyone else notice how Bunny was oddly missing fromt he comics? I use this as an explination, but maybe there's another reason. *shrug* 
> 
> 4.) Again, more comic references~
> 
> 5.) I am only guessing the timeine in this comic took place during the Great Depression - it was named 'Depression' after all.
> 
> 6.) He really wasn't, so I don't think their fight was about the kid's dying or anything, but it was a factor Tooth brought up and therefore made a part of it.
> 
> 7.) This...is the most het I have ever done, and it was so AWKWARD! Geeeeez~!
> 
> R&R please!
> 
> ~S~


	12. Chapter 12

They say familiarity breeds contempt – in other words, the more something is seen, done, or said, the more annoying it gets. Boredom and discontent are two factors of this saying, and are often associated with one another. Restlessness is also a contributing factor to this contempt. But it always depends on each individual person as to what will come of this sudden contempt.

For Pitch, it was all of the above.

Familiarity breeds contempt – and he was loathe to admit how bored, restless, discontent, and downright annoyed he was right now. Though at the same time, he was in a bit of a strange limbo of sorts. He was restless, but he was also in a strange state where all he wanted to do was stare into a wall for the rest of his life. This dazed, almost hypnotized state was disconcerting at best. And after all those…dreams…a part of him seemed to find it humorous. 

Was he truly so disturbed that his own mind and body were shutting down all their own without him? How ironic, he thought with a quiet sigh. He felt brain dead, and tired. But he could not sleep – he refused to sleep anymore. It wasn’t like he’d be too capable of it anyways; he had skipped breakfast that morning, and his stomach seemed to be protesting to this sudden hunger strike against one nosy Tooth Fairy. 

What was he even doing anyways, another part of him wondered. He now knew why his powers were on the fritz, all he had to do was demand Tooth show him to the nearest human population, stalk it out for a while, then use the power he gained from the venture to go home. And yet, for some unknown reason, he was sticking around Tooth Palace – the thought of scaring people had not once crossed his mind up until that moment. 

And it frightened him…

Like a light had suddenly been switched, in the blink of two glazed eyes, Pitch found himself back in his own body and fully aware of himself. No longer trapped in that disconcerting limbo, he looked around at his surroundings with an almost suspicious frown.

He was still in the ravine – that much was clear. Nothing much had changed, although a few things had been moved down for his comfort; or so Tooth had said to the spaced man. A small Chabudai* by the oasis served as a table for his meals instead of the usual boulders and flat rocks. Though right now it held a few books – four to be precise, and all annoyingly on the subject of teeth. Bored as he had been, he actually read them – and now he had a mild concern of tooth decay and his breath. He cursed the damned fairy for this. 

A soft woven rug had been placed down in his sleeping spot under the tree, along with many silken pillows and a couple blankets, turning the once ditch-like pit into a cozy little nest. A long bench holding various items sat on the other side of the tree, all of which contained a basket of fruits and breads for whenever Pitch felt hungry, some cups for the oasis water, a rubics-cube (apparently one of her fairies thought books were boring and got it for him – little considerate twerp), and of course, a basin of water with a tube of tooth paste and a tooth brush and floss. 

Did she actually think he was going to brush his teeth? Possibly, otherwise she wouldn’t have brought them down for him. Though he did get a good laugh out of the notion, it was short-lived. Pitch’s moods were becoming a bit more erratic, yet they all seemed to circulate through only a select few moods. One minute he’s dazed and feeling nothing, the next he’s feeling tired and down, then he might feel amused at something or other and feel fine, and maybe after that he’ll be irritated or angry at nothing. It then all comes back to being spaced out, and it was becoming concerning to the Boogeyman.

He actively wondered if he was suffering from depression. He was bored and restless, yet uninterested in anything. He wanted to just do nothing – it certainly fit part of the bill. Whatever food he managed to eat was tasteless, and all the colors of Tooth Palace were suddenly dull and plain. 

‘The Boogeyman, depressed. How laughable…’ he thought dryly. 

Well, at least he wasn’t alone in this strange endeavor. He only wished he could decide on whether or not he was glad for this or not…

The little group of fairies had snuck down into the ravine around an hour ago. About five of them, they all seemed innately curious as to what the Boogeyman did all day when Tooth was not with him. Turns out he wasn’t the greatest of entertainment out there.

“Don’t you little tarts have anything better to do?” He grumbled suddenly, slumped over his coils in a loose pile of scales and tail.

Shrugs from tiny shoulders were his only answer as little eyes strayed from scale to scale in desire. Shrill sighs of longing seemed to escape the little fairies every now and again, and he supposed the occasional noise was a good way to keep him from falling asleep again. He’s had enough naps to last him a lifetime. 

Now if only he could find something productive to do. That, or wait for Tooth to come down and entertain him. 

“Unbelievable, I have to wait on that infuriating woman for entertainment?” he groaned, scrubbing his face with a hand. 

He had to wonder just how much begging it would take to get Tooth to go into his lair and get his own books. Heaven knows he’s been itching to finish that last one on his nightstand. 

God he missed his home. Who would have thought that he, the Boogeyman, would actually be homesick?

“Sure, this place is nice and all that, but it’s so…bright.” He grimaced, picking at blades of grass absently; he would later be appalled by his own boredom induced fidgeting.

One of the wayward fairies chirp at Pitch, gesturing somewhat vaguely. The others nodded in agreement to their companions words, looking back at Pitch expectantly. He merely fixed them a deadpan look.

“Yes, because I understood every word you said,” He muttered, before he sighed, “What I would give for something to do. I haven’t been this desolate since the end of the Dark Ages.”

More chirping, this time sounding more inquisitive yet heated. Pitch scoffed, rolling so his back was to the fairies. 

“I’m guessing you said something along the lines of ‘you had it coming’,” he grumbled, “But let me tell you something – I didn’t exactly choose this existence. No one openly blames you for being born as extended versions of the twit.”

Outraged squeaks. And then he felt little patters of tiny feet on his tail. Whether out of courage or stupidity – probably both – the fairies decide enough was enough and marched right up his tail until they stood on his hip. Arms either crossed, or fists planted on hips, Pitch was reminded of a scene of a disgruntled wife trying to get her deadbeat husband to get a job. Ironic, since he would at this point kill to get back on a scaring streak.

And even more ironic, he also real just wanted to lay around and do nothing. This colorful paradox of boredom, restlessness, and irritation and exhaustion was purely aggravating to him. 

Pitch glared up at the little fairies, “I have a right to my opinion. Piss off.”

They actually _growled_ at him. He would have laughed; it was quite cute. He felt one of them stomp on him – though really, what it did was up to speculation. It felt like someone had simply blown a straw wrapper at his hip. Not the most effective way to get his attention.

“Oh shut it,” he grumbled, “Gods I miss it. Perhaps you lot can make yourself useful and get me some real reading material. Perhaps some Lovecraft, or Stephen King, or maybe Shakespeare for a change of pace.”

“I never took you for the poetry type.”

A startled, shrill hiss then, as Pitch veered up and froze into a defensive striking pose, teeth bared. Tooth, meanwhile, was startled back with a yelp and a dropped tray of food, her feathers puffed up and hands held up like there was a gun being pointed at her. The little fairies that had been thrown off of Pitch like a rider on a wild bull, while indignant, stared in anticipating fascination. 

No one said anything for the longest time. Violet eyes wide as dinner plates stared at narrowed, almost crazed amber orbs in apprehension. 

Another moment passed before a flush spread over Tooth’s face and she lowered her arms, Pitch only relaxing minutely yet still conveying suspicion.

“I-I am so sorry!” Tooth stuttered out, “I didn’t mean to scare you, I was just-”

“ _Scare me?_ ” Pitch rasped, disbelieving. 

Crap, Tooth thought. Here we go…

“I do _not_ get scared!” Pitch snapped, his scales flaring, “I am the Boogeyman! I do not get scared, and you, my dear misguided friend, did not scare me!”

 _‘Me and my big mouth…’_ Tooth thought flatly. She sighed, rolling her eyes as she set to work picking up her mess, half listening to Pitch.

“I don’t even see how one could be scared of you,” Pitch continued on absently, “No fangs, claws, not a feather out of place. Too pretty!”

“Wait, what?” Tooth looked up at Pitch with wide eyes.

It took him a moment, but Pitch soon seemed to realize the error of his wording and visibly flushed. Tooth bit her lip, watching as that fascinating color of violet, similar to her eye color, creeped up his neck and into his cheeks and tips of his ears. He suddenly scowled at the giggling Mini-fairies hovering off to the side.

“Ahem, you…you know what I mean.” Pitch grumbled, crossing his arms and refusing to look at Tooth.

Though still a bit flustered, Tooth felt a warm sense of pride at his – though unintentional – compliment to her. And although a part of her wanted to see how far she could go with this, a bigger part knew that he was simply not in the mood for teasing. She could see dark smudges under his eyes, and muscles twitching and flinching under his taut skin. He obviously did not sleep well last night; a fact she could empathies with.

Clearing her throat, Tooth put the last of the food back on the tray and pushed aside the books on the short table.

“Are uh, are you hungry?” she asked hopefully.

Pitch at first wanted to say no, he wasn’t. But on the other hand, he was somewhat grateful for her intentional change in subject. If it meant he had to eat even though he felt like his stomach was in knots, he would do it if it meant avoiding another embarrassing confrontation. Perhaps the food would do him good as well…

Sighing in exasperation, Pitch slithered over to the table and took his customary position of sitting comfortably on a thick coil. While Tooth simple sat on her knees on the other side of the table. She served herself some fruit – the cut fruit she dropped was put off to the side, now dirty from the ground. She’d give it to some of the wild birds later.

Not wanting anything too heavy, Pitch settled for a slice of plain flat bread. It was quiet between them, almost uncomfortably so. Seeing how tense everything was, the Mini-fairies eventually left the two to their lunch and got back to their work.

Nibbling almost hesitantly at the plain bread, Pitch’s eyes veered up towards Tooth, studying her. And what he saw made him frown.

Tooth’s eyes were rimmed with red, slightly puff and darkened. She looked pale, and her appetite subdue; she literally ate like a bird. And he would have laughed at this too, had he not sensed the undercurrent of apprehension and anxiety coming off of her in faint waves.

“…restless sleep last night?” he asked offhandedly, hoping he didn’t sound too concerned.

“What?” Tooth asked, blinking, “Oh, uh…heh, yeah, long night. I uh, had a lot of work, and went to bed later than usual.”

Lies, Pitch immediately thought. But why was she lying? What did she have to cover up? She was obviously still disturbed with what had happened yesterday, likely upset with him still with how he talked about that boy. 

_‘That boy…’_ Pitch shudder, setting his food aside. His appetite was completely lost, and his stomach seemed to knot even further. Swallowing, he held a hand to his mouth, suddenly feeling ill.

“Pitch? Are you alright?” Tooth asked, noticing how pale he had suddenly gone. Pitch nodded stiffly.

“The food does not agree with me…” he muttered.

He hadn’t even touched anything aside from that bread – he didn’t even take more than four bites of it. But Tooth chose not to comment, watching as the Boogeyman picked up the given cup of water and chugging it down. His throat bobbed steadily as he swallowed the cool liquid, and Tooth found herself mesmerized. 

Once he set the cup aside, rubbing his forehead, Tooth shook herself out of her stupor and spoke.

“Um, listen, I was thinking…” she started.

“A dangerous venture.” Pitch muttered. Tooth ignored the comment.

“You were right yesterday – it probably gets pretty boring down here,” she said, catching Pitch’s attention, “So…what do you like to do? I mean, in your spare time, what do you enjoy doing?”

Pitch opened his mouth to immediately respond…

“Aside from scaring children.” Tooth added hastily.

And he closed his mouth with a huff. Tooth crossed her arms.

“Come on Pitch, you have to do other things aside scaring people.” She ushered.

“And do you do anything outside collecting and gushing over teeth?” Pitch deadpanned.

“Of course I do!” Tooth responded, face flushing in slight embarrassment. 

“Oh? Such as?” Pitch asked, smirking slightly.

Tooth groaned, “Pitch…this is not about me. Come on, help me out here. Obviously you like scaring people, and getting under their skin. What else?”

The Boogeyman sighed, finally losing his teasing manner. He seemed to think for a moment before he responded.

“Read mostly. Craft different creatures out of my Nightmare sand. Sometimes visit the night side of the world.” Pitch listed off stiffly.

Tooth nodded, “What else? What do you do when you’re out and about?”

A shrug, “Sometimes I’ll meet other spirits similar to my ilk. Not many, but when I do, we often chat or stir up trouble. Once in a blue moon one will come by my home and we play chess…”

“Chess?” Tooth asked.

“Don’t sound so surprised, I happen to like strategy games,” Pitch scoffed, before seeming to wilt, “I even once got roped into playing Battle Ship with an old acquaintance of mine.”

Tooth snorted, before covering her mouth to hide her giggles. Pitch once played Battle Ship? Unbelievable! 

“And…?” she probed.

Again, he shrugs, “And that’s it. I’m not overly active. Sometimes I just sleep if the day is getting long.”

“No, I mean…did you win?” Tooth asked, smiling slightly humorously. 

“What does that have to do with anything?” Pitch snapped.

“Oh come on! Spill it, you lost didn’t you?”

“Shut up.”

“You totally did!”

“Ugh…” Pitch put his face in his hands, his fingers rubbing at his temples, “Yes, I lost. 

Tooth laughed softly to herself, grinning from ear to ear at Pitch’s pouting. Clearing her throat, Tooth composed herself, though her amused still remained. 

“Anyways, so…books, huh?” she inquired.

“Yes, Tooth, I like books…” Pitch deadpanned.

“Oh don’t be such a sour-puss, what kind of books do you like?” Tooth asked. Pitch quirked a brow at her.

“You mean you can’t guess?” he said. Tooth rolled her eyes.

“I’m making a point in trying not to assume things about you.” This earned a scoff, but none the less, Pitch relented.

“Mostly horror, mystery, books with plots that make you think and wonder,” He said, “Poetry is just something I like to dabble in every now and again.”

“Huh…again, never took you for the poetry type.” Tooth said. Pitch shrugged.

“Again, it’s only a small interest, but an interest none the less. Some are rather fascinating and telling, others are complex, yet they can hold more meaning than a thousand words.”

“Kind of a poet yourself aren’t you?” Tooth teased. Pitch scoffed.

“Hardly. I just happen to possess a more robust vocabulary.” He shot back.

“Whatever…” Tooth said with a fond eye roll, “So…I guess I can take you to my library.”

“ _You_ have a library?” Pitch asked in surprise.

“Yeah, though I hardly use it, and it’s likely smaller than yours, but it has books on various subjects.” Tooth explained.

“They’re not all about teeth or mouth care?”

“Not _all_ of them!” Tooth scoffed, “I have _some_ interests outside teeth you know.”

“Gee, I couldn’t tell…”

Again, Tooth finds herself rolling her eyes, but does not argue. Yes, she was a bit of a one-track mind when it came to teeth, but she genuinely had other interests. Botany was one of them, as was textiles and weaving. She didn’t have too much time for these things, but she enjoyed them. She found her hobbies soothing, a good way to unwind and get lost teeth out of her mind. She had to wonder what else Pitch liked to do besides read and scare people…

“Well, if we’re done here, I can take you to my library…” she suddenly paused, “Wait, can you even get up to the second level?” she asked.

Pitch blinked, but looked up to consider the height of the ravine’s sheer wall. Mentally, he groaned. By the end of this, he was going to have a splitting headache and a sore body…

****

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

And he was right.

It took his a half hour, but eventually, Pitch did get over the ravine wall. Though it came in handy with scaling pillars and spires, his tail did not work too well with scaling flat rock walls with little to latch onto. He at once point wondered why he didn’t chose to turn into something with wings in the beginning; like a half condor form, or a raven. 

“You need to put some stairs up or something, because unless I get some form of energy on a regular basis, this is not going to be a regular occurrence.” He rasped. He was winded and exhausted, slumped against the base of a spire on the second level.

Tooth bit her lip, suddenly quite a bit apprehensive. She should have thought things through before mentioning her library. He was right by one thing though; they couldn’t do this often if he was just going to be tired from lugging some two tons of snake tail up a ravine. 

And his energy…she had to think of something. Pitch needed fear to survive and thrive, at least some form of anxiety and negative emotion. Food could only sustain him for so long, and whenever he did get a whiff of fear after a long time, he would virtually go mad with ravenous hunger. He nearly sank his teeth into her neck that one time, and ti was an experience she did not…well…

“Maybe there will be something in the library that can help,” Tooth said thoughtfully, “I have a few spell and incantation books, something useful has to be in at least one of them…”

“You’re not going to tell me it’s many more floors up, are you?” Pitch groused. Thankfully, Tooth shook her head.

“No, thankfully,” she said, “It’s on this level. This way!”

Flitting off, Pitch sighed and regained his bearings, slithering after the excited fairy woman. Though he was tired, sore, and had dull scrapes on his underbelly, he was eager to see some real books and a library. It would certainly be the first time he’s seen one in Tooth Palace. He’s visited nearly every library in the human – and immortal – world, and each one held a special place in his regard. He was definitely looking forward to what a library of Tooth Palace could provide. Would it be as bedazzled and jeweled as the rest of the palace? Will it be a noisy place full of the twittering and fluttering of hundreds of Mini-fairies? 

“Here we are!” Tooth stopped at a pair of gold double doors, both easily larger than her and nearly half his length from tail tip to head. 

He blinked, marveling at the craftsmanship of the carved doors. Dozens of miniature doors dotted it in rows, no doubt used for the Mini-fairies to get in and out. He actually had to wonder how it is Tooth was going to open the mains doors with her petite frame…

Grinning to herself excitedly, Tooth simply touched a hand to the meet of the two doors. A moment passed, before the colorful diamond patterns of the door rippled and shuddered, before twisting away. It was not unlike how a Tooth Box opened, the various shapes folding and spinning away from one another, until it was opened and revealed to them the vast room within it.

Pitch was amazed, to say the least.

It was in fact smaller than his own, but it was different too. Unlike the rest of Tooth Palace, it wasn’t saturated in jewels or colors. Rather, it was calm, yet filled with richer colors reminiscent of fall. The dark red carpet complimented the dark cherry-wood bookshelves perfectly, each one stretching meters high and nearly bursting with books. Matching wood chairs and tables occupied little nooks and crannies here and there, and round nooks imbedded dint he floor were filled with pillows and silken blankets. Miniature spires hung down for meters along the ceiling, each like a little gazebo for the Mini-fairies to perch in and relax.

A rich gold chandelier hung from the ceiling, filling the large round room with a calm yellow light. Other lanterns and lamps hung or stood in various places, mostly in the reading areas. It wasn’t too bright, but it wasn’t so dark that no one could read in it. 

Pitch dazed slithered to the nearest bookshelf, curious. He paused when he looked back at the little hanging bird houses, and then back at the shelves. And sure enough, if he looked close enough, just above the normal sized books were miniature books that were perfectly sized for fairies. All boasted titles, seeming to be exact copies of their larger counterparts. 

“How…?” He rasped.

“Hm? Oh, those. North helped me with those when I first built the Palace,” Tooth said, “He used a copying and shrinking spell for them. Some of my girls are real bookworms.”* 

Pitch could only shake his head slowly, disbelieving. Well, he’s certainly seen everything when it comes to libraries now. And he thought the flying books of Cupid’s cloud citadel were a marvel. 

“Well, go on and have a look,” Tooth said, gesturing to the aisles of books, “I’m going ot look for some books too, so take your time.”

And with that, she flitted off to look for some reading material. Suddenly alone, Pitch almost felt enclosed and overwhelmed by the large library. It was an odd mindset, considering his own was vast enough to become a labyrinth – his own Fearlings often get lost in it. Yet here eh was, intimidated by a smaller, warmer version of a library he could no longer get to.

He sighed, suddenly a bit more energetic. There was nothing to be done about it. He was out of the ravine, and surrounded by hundreds of books to choose from. He might as well try and find something that might catch his interest. 

****

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

Meanwhile, Tooth was off near a section on the other side of the library that housed her spell books. Steadily, she was collecting a nice pile of books concerning energy and how to convert or sustain it. She did not have too many options, but she had enough thankfully. And worst come to worse, she could always borrow something from North and claim she was just curious and wanted to brush up on her magic study. Occasionally a Mini-fairy would flit by and pass a quiet greeting to her, or ask how she was doing with the Boogeyman. 

“He’s still moody, but I think we’re getting there.” She replied to one fairy.

The little fairy nodded and flitted off, clutching its own miniature book to its chest. She looked through a few more titles and texts, before she decided she had enough and regarded her stack. It was easily half her size, and likely weighed twice her weight…

“Baby steps, Tooth…” she muttered to herself. She took half the stack with straining hands and wings, and flew off to find a good place to read them. 

Finding a cozy nook stuffed with pillows, she settled in and got to reading the first book on top of the pile…

It wasn’t until one of her library fairies came by to tell her it was getting late did Tooth realize just how long she had been at reading. Hours had passed, and she was now nearing the end of her last book, and the end of her rope. 

“Um, thanks, I’ll be done in a second.” She said.

The fairy nodded and flitted off, while Tooth sighed and rubbed her forehead in frustration. Her eyes hurt from staring into off-white pages and black print so much, and she could find nothing to aid Pitch in his search for energy without being around fear. There weren’t even any references on fear specifically in any of the books she had. 

“Can you be any more complicated, Pitch?” she wondered aloud. Sighing, she stood and stretched her stiff limbs, feathers shuddering as she regained feeling back into her limbs.

Shaking her wings out, she resolved to put the books back before going to look for Pitch and tell him she had to go. He could stay in the library all night if he wanted to; it would be better than climbing back down into that ravine and out again the next day. She really needed to invest in some stairs or something…

Putting the last book away, Tooth sighed and flitted off to look for the wayward Boogeyman. She had to wonder if he would still be reading or not. But then again, what else would he be doing in the library?

Apparently something entertaining, come to find out. As when Tooth turned a corner, she came face to face with an odd sight. 

Brows scrunched in concentration, and chin propped up on a fists, Pitch regarded the chess board sat upon one of his coils. The fairy across from him – her feathers ruffled slightly, a purple spot around her left eye, and large, round glasses over her long nose – sitting on another smaller coil was virtually sweating, little leg bouncing in anticipation.

A moment passed before Pitch suddenly smirked, and moved a Knight to the opposite side’s King.

“Checkmate,” He said, “Again.” 

The little fairy let out a shrill screech of anguish and fell onto her back, pressing tiny hands into her eyes under the thick, miniature glasses. Pitch chuckled, resetting up the chess pieces.

“Oh come now, you’re getting better! You can’t quit now.” He said in mock cheerfulness. 

The fairy only gave Pitch a very rude hand gesture. But it only caused the Boogeyman to chuckle mirthfully. Tooth blinked, stunned.

“Pitch…?” she offered uncertainly. 

Startling, Pitch veered his head over towards the wide eyed Tooth Fairy. He himself seemed to be taking on the persona of a gaping fish. The little spectacled fairy though, was looking between the two with wide eyes and a stiff stance, as if she was the kid with her hand caught in the cookie jar. She wondered if she would get in trouble with playing chess with the Boogeyman…

Tooth was the first to break the awkward silence.

“Pitch…” she started, “What were you doing with one of my fairies…?” 

“I am working on building a rebellion in my glorious name to overthrow you.” Pitch said innocently, playing absently with a pawn.

“Pitch…” Tooth said warningly.

He sighs, “Honestly Tooth, you should name these little puff-balls. I nearly mistook this one for Frost’s sidekick and said something foul.”

“ _Pitch…_ ”

“Alright! Calm down, we were playing chess,” Pitch said in exasperation, “Apparently she had some fascination for a book I was reading that wasn’t in her size, and she wouldn’t leave me alone! Long story short, we eventually moved on to the chess board I found on the table there, and then you showed up. The end.”

Tooth blinked owlishly, somehow unable to fully process all Pitch had just said. It was like a trickle leaking from a dam; there was so much more to take in, but all she could manage was the smallest amount. It finally seemed to occur to her that maybe she just spent too long in the library and she was just going nuts.

“…you seem awful surprised.” Pitch deadpanned.

“Uh, yeah, kind of?” Tooth offered weakly.

The fairy spoke up then, flitting over to Tooth and wringing her little hands. She seemed to explain to Tooth what had happened, and it was virtually the same thing as what Pitch had said. She saw he had a books he wanted to read, it was too big for her but he let her have at it, and after some timid chirping and irritated huffing, Pitch got to kicking her tail at chess. 

“You know how to play chess?” Tooth eventually asked the fair. Pitch quirked a brow at her.

“I was playing a game with one of your little pom-poms, and that’s all you got from this?” he asked.

“Oh give me a break! I didn’t know! _I_ don’t even know how to play chess!” Tooth snapped.

“You don’t?” Pitch seemed surprised, as was the fairy. Tooth flushed, suddenly put on the spot.

“Well…no…it just doesn’t seem all that exciting to me. And come on, I’m busy, why would I play such a time consuming game?” she asked.

Pitch and the fairy shared a contemplative, conspiring look. Smiles slowly spread over their lips, and Tooth was wondering just how hard the game could be…

****

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

“Why is this so damn hard!?” Tooth screamed at the board a half hour later.

The spectacled fairy, sitting on Pitch’s shoulder, giggled shrilly to herself behind tiny hands. Pitch only shook his head, smirking smugly. 

“Honestly Toothiana, you can remember the name of every tooth in the human mouth, but you can’t even recall the difference between a Rook and a Bishop?”

“Ugh, Pitch, shut up…!” Tooth rasped, glaring in frustration at the chess board, “I’m trying to focus…!”

“Yes, don’t hurt yourself…” Pitch muttered. The fairy on his shoulder giggled again. 

A good five minutes passed before Tooth gave up with a frustrated groan, rubbing her temples as a headache set in. She finally moved a random piece – her last remaining Knight – and waited for Pitch to make his move. He moved his Rook full across the board and knocked over her King.

“Checkmate.” He said. 

Tooth recalled seeing a cartoon playing out in a child’s room when they were asleep, of a character flipping a table in frustration. And right now, she could see herself doing that exact same thing to the board. But she didn’t – though by god she wanted to – but she was a lady, damn it. She does not flip boards!

“Well, that was a rather riveting experience wouldn’t you say?” Pitch said teasingly.

“Pitch, I will yank your molars out if you do not shut your mouth…” Tooth groaned. Pitch shrugged, still grinning like the smug bastard he was. 

“Yes, yes, straight to the Moon.” Pitch droned.

Tooth groaned again, pouting at her fallen King. She had to concede though; though it wasn’t an overly exciting game, it got her brain moving, and was quite competitive. A part of her was outraged at being so easily defeated some unknown number of times. And another was just embarrassed she couldn’t memorize which did what and what their names were.

Sighing, Tooth sat up and stretched from being hunched over the board for so long. Blinking to refresh her eyes, she looked to the area Pitch was lounged in and had been previously reading in. She was shocked to see just how many books he had out and surrounding the pillow laden reading area, and all ranging in various subjects.

“Sure you got enough books there?” she asked. 

Pitch scoffed, “When you’re stuck in a ditch for so long with nothing to do, you try not going overboard. And I’m a fast reader.” 

“Right…” Tooth droned.

“Well you certainly took your time. What exactly were you looking into?” Pitch inquired.

“How do you know I was in here this whole time?” Tooth fired back.

“Oh please, you have the classic look most cramming students get after an all-night study session. You were looking into something, quite vigorously.” Pitch said smugly. 

Tooth flushed and touched her face, wondering if she looked as haggard as Pitch describe. The fairy on Pitch’s shoulder chirped at Tooth, saying she looked fine – just tired. 

“Ahem, yes, uh…a-anyways, did you want to stay here for the night?” Tooth asked.

“And make that hellish crawl into the ravine again? No thank you.” Pitch said, crossing his arms. 

Well, Tooth thought, at least he was on the same page as her in that regard. She really did not feel like helping Pitch lug down the ravine, nor did she feel like chancing a heart attack whenever he slipped and caught himself. Not a pleasant experience. 

Standing, Tooth brushed her rumbled feathers off and stretched with her hands high above her head. She seemed oblivious to the serpentine gaze on her as she did so, and sighed in relief as the tense muscles in her body unwound and loosened. Relaxing again, Tooth yawned and looked tiredly over at Pitch.

“Well, while you and our fanclub gush over books, I’m going to bed. Night…” yawning again, Tooth kicked her wings into gear and flew for the door. She was about to open them again and head out, but was stopped when Pitch suddenly spoke.

“Toothiana…” he called.

“Hm?” Tooth turned, tired eyes looking blearily at Pitch across the room.

He looked tense and hesitant, but the fairy on his shoulder poked his cheek and chirped insistently. He sighed.

“Thank you…” he said, barely audible. 

Tooth blinked, before a tired smile broke over her face.

“You’re welcome.” She said. And with that, she cast one last look at Pitch before she opened the door and flitted out.

Pitch sighed as the door was shut, rubbing his forehead. He suddenly seemed to realize how tired he was. Both he and Tooth also had completely forgone dinner, but oddly, he still wasn’t hungry. Perhaps he was still in a funk, or perhaps he was just not feeling well. Looking to his pile of books, he frowned. He had read through at least eight books in the hours he spent there, all of them for leisure and to alleviate boredom. The problem was, they were all love stories…

“You tell her about any of this…” he started, “I really will eat you.”

The fairly only rolled her eyes, but nodded. She suddenly yawned and stretched her stiff wings, taking to the air. She chirped a good night to Pitch and flitted off for her own little nook to sleep. Once she was gone, Pitch flopped into his coils with a tired sigh, rubbing his eyes. He was tired, that much was obvious. But his brains imply would not shut off.

He could not get the image of Tooth out of his head. Concentrating with all her might over the chess board, looking flustered and embarrassed over small things…Tooth stretching out in front of him…

“Urgh…!” Growling to himself, Pitch turned over so he was buried under his coils, clamping his hands over his ears. No, no more of this crap. 

He had to find a way to get out of Tooth Palace, and he had to get out now…

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1.) A Chabudai is a low hanging table with short legs. it is usually small in size, and often used in most parts of Asia for tea/snacks and studying - essentially it's a coffee table you put away.
> 
> Glasses nerd fairy needs a name! Help me~! XD


	13. Chapter 13

Sunlight poured into the palace in shafts of warm light, cascading over ridges and bouncing off of golden towers and spires. Like gold waterfalls, they fell and crashed into the ravine in which he slept. Only did he soon start to awake as sunlight warmed skin and scales alike, lighting the obsidian shards until they shone like the volcanic glass they represented. The colored gems of scales that lined his flank glistened and sparkled like true precious stones; they made all the gems about the palace look like lumps of coal. 

Purring in the lazy lull of morning, Pitch’s startling gold eyes opened the scantest bit. For once, he was a bit happy to be waking up to so much light and warmth. His form permitted him to walk in the daylight without fear of harm or burn. It truly was a lovely feeling, waking up to such warmth. He had to wonder if he would ever laugh or scoff at such a notion once he woke up a bit more. 

Something shifted on his chest, its surface smooth as silk yet soft as velvet. A flash of iridescent green caught his bleary eyes, before a rainbow of color invaded his vision. At first he thought it was the light of morning filtering through a pane of glass. But upon blinking and clearing his vision, he saw it was a wing. Slightly transparent, yet boasting a whole realm of color that would make any other dizzy with wonder and awe. But Pitch, he was drunk with it…

Blinking once more, he looked down at his chest until he was looking into the swirling vortex of his coils. Where many would see such a thing as dangerous, eerie and frightening even, there was one who saw comfort in it. It was a home, a haven; a nest.

Tooth moaned sleepily as she too awoke from one of the deepest sleeps she has ever had in quite some time. Warm and wrapped in the obsidian and gossamer speckled nest of scales, against this lean, strong chest painted like the overcast day of coming rain, her body sang pleasantly in that lazy state of half-awake and half asleep. She blinked sleepy amethyst eyes – gemstones in and of themselves, the Boogeyman was enraptured by that violet gaze. 

Gold and violet eyes locked then, eyes hooded and pleasantly hazy. Pink lips smiled lovingly as the fairy queen shifted so her wings were spread out and stretching in the air. They fluttered and shuddered as last night’s sleepy stiffness was shaken from the iridescent appendages. Light filtered through the transparent wings, transforming into lovely shafts of colored light that fell warmly against his face. This was no fairy in his grasp; this was an emerald angel. 

“Hey…” she breathed sleepily, one hand reaching up to rest fingers against his collar. She traced the prominent bones, her delicate touch sending shivers down Pitch’s whole body.

“Hey…” he purred back, equally lazy. He sounded like a cat that had just woken up after a full meal of cream and fish; content. 

Loosening his coils, he rose up and arched his back, nearly bent backwards as he stretched and popped stiff joints. He shivered as those delicate fingers ran down his chest and over his flat belly, stopping just at the sharp points of his hip bone. Peeking an eye at the fairy woman, Pitch felt a tad bit of smugness at the open enthrallment she watched him in as he proudly showed off his body for all it was worth. 

“Show off.” She muttered. 

Pitch chuckled as he settled back into their scaly nest alongside Tooth. They gazed at one another hazily, both now awake, but unwilling to leave that comforting place of euphoric haze and fog. The Tooth Fairy rested her chin on Pitch’s chest, her fingers tracing patterns on his firm pectorals. 

“What do you want to do today?” she asked breathily. Pitch hummed, sliding one arm under his head and the other around Tooth’s petite waist. His fingers played delicately with the feathers at the small of her back, and he felt her shiver at the pleasant sensations.

“I am not sure,” he said, before he suddenly grinned, “But I am looking forward to you making breakfast.”

Tooth scoffed teasingly, “You are so lazy.”

Pitch smirked, shifting slightly. Tooth squeaked slightly as his coils rolled and she was half thrown, half rolled onto Pitch’s torso fully until her thighs straddled his waist. He moved his hand so it was settled fully on one of her thighs, petting up and down the quivering leg as she instinctively planted her hands on his stomach to support herself.

“Am I now?” he purred, reveling in the bright blush consuming Tooth’s face, “You weren’t saying that last night, now were you my dear songbird?”

Tooth nearly swooned under those intense eyes and rumbling voice. Her heart fluttered wildly in her chest like a bird trapped in a cage far too small for it as Pitch’s hand palmed her hip, massaging the supple curve with his warm, massive hands. 

“D-don’t call me that…” she rasped, her fingers curling against Pitch’s abdomen. 

“Oh but it’s true my darling,” Pitch purred, leaning up slightly on his free hand so his nose was nearly touching hers, “You sang so wonderfully for me last night. Your lovely voice, so full of passion…”

Tooth gasped as his hand moved up her waist and to her arm, pressed hotly against her trembling limb. 

“And you dance my dear, so gracefully,” he was breathing his words against her ear now, his hot breath sending heat straight into her core, “Like a bird in flight – no. Like a bird falling from the sky, falling freely, without a care or worry…”

He squeezed her arms lightly, before the hand moved up her shoulder and curled around the back of her neck. His hot palm was like a brand on her nape, and it sent her mind swimming. 

“Such lovely, dangerous, blissful freedom…” purring deep in his stomach sent shudders up Tooth’s body, her whole being shaking as she shot her hands up to grasp weakly at his shoulders, “And I am the only one who gets to watch as you fall, faster…”

He grinned a fang-filled grin as he nuzzled her cheek, before descending down towards her neck.

“Pitch…”

“And faster…”

Hot breath puffed at her pulse point, causing her to gasp and jolt. Pitch chuckled as his forked tongue poked at the heartbeat just under skin and feathers…

“And _faster…_ ”

His mouth opened, and his fangs flashed as he bent forward and-

****

~x~x~x~x~x~

“AUGH!”

Pitch shot up in his nest of pillows, panting erratically and eyes wide. Sweat coated his body in a thin sheen that made his stone colored skin look like polished granite. Shivering, Pitch wrapped his arms around himself as he gaped openly at the floor in wide eyed terror.

What…was _that!?_ What had he been dream-had he been dreaming!? 

“What…?” he rasped, his voice shot like it had been when Tooth had first brought him to her home. 

What indeed. What had he just _seen? Why_ had he dreamt it? And of _Tooth_ of all people!

Pitch swallowed thickly, eyes nearly bugging out of his head. Part of him was quite stunned by the fact that he had had a _dream._ Or so he was assuming it was. It certainly did not feel like a nightmare at the time. It was distressing in a manner when he woke up and realized he had had an almost sensual dream about the fairy queen, but still. He had had a _dream…_

…and it made him _sick!_

A sudden chirp caught his attention, and he veered his head around to find its source. The spectacled fairy from last night was sitting at the chess board off to his left. She was looking at him oddly, a white pawn clutched in her arms. She chirped inquisitively at him, and Pitch groaned. Just what he needed to see first thing after having a sexual dream; something that represented the subject of his otherwise apparent tension.

With a long suffering sigh, he flopped back into his nest of pillows, flopping an arm over his eyes. He was the very picture of epic drama, if the fairy ever did see one. 

“Gods I can’t take this…” he rasped.

The fairy cocked her head in concern. She set the pawn down on the board and fluttered over to Pitch until she hovered over his head, just in his line of vision. She chirped again, this time sounding fairly concerned. Shifting his arm, Pitch peeked one eye up at the fairy. 

“I’m fine, just _peachy…_ ” he groused. 

The fairy quirked a brow, disbelieving, and crossed her arms expectantly. Despite her previously meek demeanor, it seemed all of Tooth’s Mini-fairies held a speck of defiance and otherwise firm-fisted resolve. It both made Pitch want to smirk and scowl all at once. 

He sighed, “It’s nothing, just…had an odd dream…”

An odd dream that he should be forgetting of right about now so he can move on with his life. But it would not leave his mind. Weren’t people supposed to forget their dreams after the first minute of waking up from them? Why couldn’t he get the mental image of the fairy queen out of his head!? Why could he not forget how radiant she looked upon waking up? Why could he not forget how wonderful it felt for her to be waking up beside him? Why couldn’t he forget how her hands felt on his chest, how her feathers tickled and smoothed brilliantly over his scales, or how it felt to have her straddling-

Pitch felt himself blanch suddenly, goose bumps erupting over his skin. His heart – an organ he would later deny having and fully functioning – hammered madly against his ribs. He suddenly felt nauseous. He felt _filthy…!_

Seeing how pale he was, the fairy became openly more worried and tentatively touched Pitch’s nose. She whistled lowly, as in inquiring if he felt sick. He certainly looked like he was going to be sick…

“Oh gods…” Pitch groaned again, grabbing a pillow and pressing it over his face, nearly smacking the fairy out of the way.

Pouting, the fairy chirped and tugged at the fingers holding the pillow in place over his face. He was going to suffocate himself! What was wrong anyways?

“Oh just leave me alone,” Pitch growled from under the pillow, “I feel terrible enough as it is, I don’t need you making it worse.”

The fairy scowled. Well, if Pitch was going to be rude and rebuke her for feeling worried, then he can go suck an egg…

Huffing, the fairy turned and started for the chess board again. And once her buzzing wings were far enough away from pitch’s hearing, he took the pillow off his face and gazed forlornly at the ceiling.

“Ugh, I feel disgusting…” he groaned, looking at his hands, “As if my sleep wasn’t bad enough, now I’m left filthy from that disgusting dream of that woman…!”

The fairy paused from setting a rook in its place, looking over at Pitch. He felt filthy? Did he have one of those icky dreams people sometimes have? Well no wonder he was cranky! But what was that about a woman? Hm, well he was a boy, did he dream of a girl giving him kooties or something? 

_‘Men…’_ She thought with a fond eye roll. But it wasn’t his fault, dreams can be weird after all – and Sandy sometimes had a very questionable sense of imagination when it came to dreams. She knew just what he needed!

Pitch blinked hazily as the fairy fluttered back into his line of vision, this time gesturing animatedly to a side door just a few aisles away from them. He groaned, turning his head away from her.

“Go away…” he huffed. 

The fairy rolled her eyes at his dramatics. Huffing, she flitted down and grabbed his hand, tugging at it for him to get up off his lazy tail and follow her! 

“I said go away…” Pitch yanked his hand away from the fairy and rolled onto his side, his back now facing her.

The blinked at him, glasses skewed from the harsh tug. She suddenly scowled. How rude…

Huffing, she flew over Pitch until she was hovering in front of his face. She crossed her arms, landing on his forearm, and started tapping her foot impatiently. Pitch, looking ready to try and sleep again, looked at her with a scowl.

“I do not like repeating myself, fairy…” he suddenly looked contemplative, “Seriously, would it kill Toothiana to give you sprites names?”

Sensing he was trying to dodge whatever it was she was intending to do, she pointed back to the door and glared at Pitch in what she hoped as in an imposing manner – a difficult accomplishment with her rather thick and round glasses. Pitch scoffed.

“Or what? You’ll tickle me with your little tail feathers?” he mocked.

Deadpanned, the fairy pointed to the pinpoint sized scar on Pitch’s hand just between his thumb and index finger. A reminder of Baby Tooth’s rather harsh retaliation to him back in Antarctica. Pitch sneered, resisting the urge to growl. Her message was clear despite the lack of words; she may not be as brash as Baby Tooth, but she _will_ poke his damn eye out if he didn’t get up and listen to her. 

“Fine…” sitting up, he watched the fairy flit back into the air to hover in front of him, “What do you want?”

Smiling to herself in accomplishment, the fairy once again pointed to the door. Sighing, pitch got up all the way and started slithering for it, the fairy leading the way towards it. Opening the door, he found it led into a corridor that branched off into other hallways and doors. The fairy chirped, catching his attention, and allowed himself to be led down the hallway past a few doors and halls. They traveled down a long flight of stairs, much to Pitch’s irritation; stairs did not feel great on his underbelly. But after a few turns and twists, they came to a set of double doors on what he guessed was the ground floor. The carpet had long since been left behind and was replaced with a polished cobblestone that felt cool and smooth under his tail. 

His sensitive hearing picked up the sound of running water then, coming from behind the door. Gesturing to the door, the fairy grinned up at Pitch as he reached down and opened one of the doors. 

His eyes widened in awe and pure elation. Behind the double doors was a vast cavern of slick stone and gold arches. Raw gems glistened as they peeked out from crags and cracks, some glimmering like colored lights behind the small waterfalls that tumbled and cascaded into the many blue springs and oasis’ below. A modestly sized skylight sat up above, casting the room in soft light that was mostly highlighted by the glowing gems and jewels. Cool mist tumbled from the cooler springs in basins along the upper cliffs, while heady steam rolled along the floors of the main floor leading to the warm and hot springs. Slabs of stone were lined with soft looking towels, perfumes, oils, and soaps, and shelves lining the insides of the springs that would allow one to relax and sit in them were highlighted with cracks that revealed more raw gems. 

This was the palace bath…

“…oh…” was all Pitch seemed to manage, flabbergasted. The fairy grinned proudly to herself, before Pitch suddenly frowned and looked at her.

“Why is it so empty?” he asked. The fairy pursed her lips, trying to figure out a way to communicate her answer to the Boogeyman. 

Snapping her fingers, she flittered over to the mounds of white sand off to one side, littered with dark, round stones; heating stones. Using her hand, she started to write into the sand.

 _Private,_ she wrote, _We have our own bath house._

Pitch blinked, but it made sense. He imagined the Mini-fairies bathed in what would resemble a bird-bath, not in these large pools with waterfalls that could easily drown them. Perhaps it was for guests?

“I see…” he said, still stunned. A bath…the idea sounded far better than he made it sound. 

Suddenly he was eager to get into the water and soak off the last few days’ stresses and anxieties. He bathed in the oasis in the ravine before, but it never felt like a real bath. And here he was, in a real bath house with soaps and the opportunity to finally relax in peace!

“Well why didn’t you say so?” he said with a smirk. The fairy rolled her eyes again, but was all the same amused. 

She wrote some more in the sand, _No one will come in here, so stay as long as you like. I’ll come back in an hour to lead you back to the library._

“Yes, yes, now shoo, I can figure things out myself here.” Pitch said, “…thank you though, for this.”

Smiling, the fairy shrugged and made for the door. Pitch closed the otherwise heavy door behind her with his tail, and once he was alone, he surveyed the room. He definitely was going to try out one of those hot springs; the oasis felt nice and all, but cool water got old after a while. Looking over the soaps, he found quite a few he had never heard of, and many he was definitely going to try. He paused when he found a body wash among the selection, and eyed his tail.

It’s been weeks, and he still retained his form. By now his legs were likely very neglected and would need to be checked over. The longer he kept them ‘locked away’, the more likely permanent damage could be done to them. 

Pitch, taking a couple soaps and a wash cloth, slithered over to the edge of a hot spring that didn’t seem too warm or cold for his likely sensitive legs. And once sure he was not going to be interrupted, he gathered what little energy he lad and forced it back into his center. Slowly, much slower than last time, his tail retracted and started to shrink, becoming a gangly pair of trembling, very much neglected legs. 

He hissed as throbbing aches flared up into his limbs and were sent straight into his spine. His leggings felt way too tight around the trembling limbs, both throbbing and aching from lack of use. And despite being bound in his leggings, the air somehow felt both too cold and too hot on his sensitive skin. 

Well, there was only one way to fix that, he thought. 

Slipping his thumbs over the waistband of his leggings, he carefully maneuvered them off of his person while still remaining seated. Tossing the well-worn leggings to the side, Pitch began the difficult task of acclimating his limbs to the warm water of the spring…

****

~x~x~x~x~x~

“Okay, already send patrol team A there, troupe 42 is now dispatched, and we broke our record for most Molars collected in one week!”

The fairy queen, hovering on his signature platform, bit her lip in excitement as more Mini-fairies flew in with even more teeth. Today was a particularly busy day it seemed; teeth were suddenly falling out like rain from the sky! 

“Wait, wait, wait! Let me see that Lateral Incisor!” stopping a troupe of five, Tooth ushered them over. 

She nearly squealed over the tiny enamel deposited proudly into her hands. The fairy that had retrieved it seemed to flair her feathers in pride as her queen looked it over. She was about to make a comment on how large it was, until she paused and frowned. The tooth was large, especially for a baby tooth. And it was quite yellowed, stained brown in a few places. And once she had calmed from her excited high, she seemed to realize the tooth has roots. 

Blinking, she looked up at the troupe and gave a small smile.

“Sweetie, remember? We don’t collect adult teeth.” She said.

The Mino-fairy blinked, looking at the tooth dumbly in her queen’s hand. She quirked a brow suddenly, and chirped up at her queen inquisitively. 

_“It’s not a baby tooth someone dropped?” _she asked. Tooth blinked.__

__“No. Why would you think someone dropped it?” She asked. The fairy shrugged and pointe to one of the many windows of the palace._ _

___“I found it just outside the palace wall,”_ she said, _“I thought someone dropped it, and it was just dirty from being on the ground for so long.”__ _

__Oh, Tooth thought. Well that certainly made sense. It was extremely rare for any of her fairies to drop or misplace their cargo, but the few times they did, it was usually found fairly quickly. If not by another fairy, then by Tooth herself. She would have sensed if a baby tooth was left outside her home._ _

__Smiling, she pat the meek fairy’s head, “Thank you sweetie, for considering it. But this isn’t a baby tooth, or even a human tooth from what I can tell,” she scrutinized the tooth briefly, cocking a brow, “It’s very close to a human one though. It actually looks a lot like…”_ _

__She suddenly paused, her face paling slightly. A shudder ran down her spine as ice dropped into her gut. Her fairies looked on at her in concern, the one who had brought the foreign tooth chirping carefully at her. Was she okay? She looked sick…_ _

__Tooth suddenly snapped out of her daze, shaking her head as if to clear the fog in her mind. Clearing her throat, she clutched the tooth in her hand and smiled tightly at her fairies._ _

__“Don’t worry girls, I’m just a bit tired is all,” she said, “It’s been a busy week.”_ _

__The fairies sighed in relief, all looking to one another and chirping quietly. One of them suddenly chirped and suggested Tooth take a break. She’s been working too hard._ _

__“Heh, thanks, but I’m okay. I just need to get back into the groove of things.” Tooth reassured._ _

__The fairies looked unconvinced, and all pointed out how she had pulled an all-nighter last night and has been up for most of the day now. If she didn’t take a break every now and again, she was only going to hinder the tooth colleting process._ _

__She sighed, “Okay, okay, if I take an hour break, will you let me come back?”_ _

__Chirps and whistles of approval were given, and Tooth chuckled as the fairies flitted around her and started to try and herd her down to the main floor._ _

__“Okay! I’m going!’ She laughed, turning to fly for the main floor of the palace._ _

__A sudden chirp stopped her, and she turned to look at her troupe again. The fairy that had collected the foreign tooth suddenly pointed to the fairy queen’s hand, chirping questionably._ _

__“The tooth? Oh, I’ll hang onto it, you don’t need to throw it out,” Tooth waved a hand dismissively, “Some of the fairies collect animal teeth, maybe one of them will take care of it.”_ _

__Reassured, the fairies bid their queen goodbye and flitted off to finish their work. Once they were gone, Tooth sighed, deflating slightly. She looked down at the tooth in her hand, nearly grimacing at the yellowed enamel._ _

__A monkey tooth. She certainly hadn’t seen too many in her lifetime, and this was the first time she had seen one in a few hundred years. It brought back unpleasant memories, and sparked a flare of anger inside of her. It was a rage born from hardships and bitter experience. She thought she had gotten over such rage. But evidently, she had not it seemed._ _

__Sighing, she contemplated what to do with the thing. Maybe she would give it to one of her fairies like she said. Or perhaps throw it away._ _

__She shook her head. No, she could think on what to do with it later. Now, she really did want to relax a bit. It seemed to catch up to her once she left her platform just how tired she was. Her back was starting to throb with how long her wings had been keeping her aloft. And she seemed to take note of a headache starting to set in just behind her forehead._ _

__Her stomach gave a loud, low growl suddenly. Flushing, Tooth was just thankful no one was around to hear her stomach loudly demanding food for itself. She resolved to get something ot eat then._ _

__After a nice, hot bath._ _

__Flitting down towards a dome just on the main floor, Tooth flew down past an arch and through an open door that led her to an array of hallways and doors. Knowing the winding corridors by heart, she quickly and swiftly weaved down halls and past doors until she reached her destination; a set of double doors._ _

__She nearly shuddered with the anticipation of getting into one of her private hot springs. A nice hot bath was just what she needed right now. Maybe she could take a bit more than an hour to soak and pamper herself; she rarely did after all._ _

__Reaching for the handle of one of the doors, she opened it and stepped inside. The heady smell of damp rocks and steam filled her lungs, and seemed to help clear away most of her headache. Sighing pleasantly, she walked over to the flat rock that hosted a variety of her favorite bath oils and essentials. Looking over the selection, she frowned. Where was her sandalwood body wash? And her lavender oil, it was gone too._ _

__“What…?” she pursed her lips. Ugh, did her fairies get into her private bath and pilfer her stuff again?_ _

__A sudden shift in the water caught her attention then, and she turned to confront whoever was in her bath._ _

__“Ugh, girls, I thought I told you that you weren’t allowed in my-” whatever it was she was about to say suddenly caught in her throat and vanished in a choking sound oddly reminiscent of one choking a flamingo._ _

__Pitch stared back, eyes wide and mouth pulled into a long, thin line. His back was partly to the fairy queen, and he was standing in the waist-deep water. Well, it was waist deep to Tooth, but for someone as tall and long legged as Pitch…imagination as no longer a factor needed here._ _

__He was naked. And Tooth was _looking right at him._ _ _

__If there was any other time for a logical, calm reaction…_ _

__“AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!”_ _

__“EEEEEKKKKKKK!”_ _

__Now was not the time._ _

__“Gods above, Toothiana, have you ever heard of knocking!?” Pitch snapped, snagging a towel by the edge of the pool to cover himself with._ _

__“Well have you ever heard of respecting people’s property!?” Tooth snapped back, covering her eyes with her hands._ _

__“What are you even doing here!?” Pitch shouted, tying off his towel around his hips. Although he was wishing for his cloak at the moment to cover everything._ _

__“Me!? What are YOU doing in MY bath!?”_ _

__“Ugh! Forget it, just get out!”_ _

__“Get-!?” Tooth suddenly uncovered her eyes, vaguely thankful Pitch managed to cover himself before she did so, “This is MY bath! You leave!”_ _

__“I was here first! Get out!”_ _

__“Are you serious!? This is MY home, with MY rules!”_ _

__Pitch scoffed, one hand gripping the side of the pool and the other the towel around his waist, “Oh please, as if I am under any obligation to listen to you.”_ _

__Tooth felt a vein throbbing in her temple then, and her face flushed red – and it wasn’t from the heat or Pitch’s partial nudity. Worse yet, Pitch seemed to find it amusing; he was openly _smirking_ at her. _ _

__“You-!? WHY!? Why are you even in here!?” she shrieked._ _

__Pitch cringed, digging a finger into one of his ears in exaggeration; god damned drama queen._ _

__“If you absolutely _must_ know, one of your little sprites showed me to the bath.” He groused lowly._ _

__“Again, why?” Tooth rasped, her stress levels nearly skyrocketing. Her feathers were ruffled and puffed up from her body, giving her silhouette a rather disconcerting shape._ _

__“Who?” she asked, trying to keep her calm._ _

__“Vidya.” Pitch deadpanned. Tooth paused._ _

__“…who?” she asked again. Pitch rolled his eyes with a sigh._ _

__“The only fairy willing to come near me without spite or the desire to yank out one of my scales; that little bookish fairy from yesterday,” he said, “You know, large glasses, spot over her eye, has no sense of strategy when it comes to chess?”_ _

__Vidya…an Indian name, meaning knowledge. It certainly fit the bookworm fairy. But that wasn’t what made Tooth slightly calm and stare at Pitch; for two reasons. First was the fact that he had willingly and in his own time _named_ her without prompting. _ _

__Second was the fact that, now that she was calm, she seemed to just now realize that Pitch was naked. And by that, she realized his tail was gone, and replaced with his bipedal legs. Both of which, she noticed, were looking quite unsteady. Pitch was holding the edge of the pool in a death-grip, the edge and the water of the pool the only support he had while standing._ _

__Tooth had to wonder; was he alright? Was being in a different form for such a long time straining on him in some way? Did he maybe lose strength in his legs after such a long time being of being…what exactly _happened_ to his legs when he transformed?_ _

__A hand suddenly came into her line of vision next to his legs, the index finger wagging upwards. Pitch sneered as he gaze shifted upwards._ _

__“My face is up here, darling.” He said._ _

__Face flushing, Tooth made it a priority in keeping her eyes locked onto Pitch’s chest…his nicely defined, lean, yet strong chest- _no stop!__ _

__“Ugh! Whatever! Just-just get out of here!” Tooth snapped, pointing to the door._ _

__Pitch put a hand to his chest dramatically, “My, how rude! I’m a guest here.”_ _

__“You’re not-!” Seriously, Tooth wanted to _strangle_ the obnoxious man, “Why? Why do I have to deal with you? Did I do something horrible to deserve this? Is that it? Did I hurt someone in some way?”_ _

__Pitch quirked a brow, cocking a hip to one side, “I can think of one person.”_ _

__“Besides yourself!” Tooth said. Pitch scoffed._ _

__“Well then, while this conversation has been ever so enlightening, I suggest you leave.” He said._ _

__“No, this is my bath, you don’t get to tell me to leave!” Tooth snapped._ _

__“I was here first.”_ _

__“You are acting like a _child…!_ ”_ _

__“I can’t help that I find you oh so amusing when flustered.” Pitch smirked._ _

__Tooth felt her face burn even hotter then. Whether from anger or embarrassment, she could not tell. All she knew was that she was going to _kill him_. She wanted to tear off those scrawny arms of his and beat him with them. She wanted nothing more than to twist and break that long, strong neck. She would kill to have something crush that well sculpted chest of his. She would jst love to kick him in his-_ _

___**STOP!** _ _ _

__“You are staring again.” Pitch suddenly said, before he smirked and shamelessly exposed the side of his neck, “Like what you see?”_ _

__Tooth’s headache was becoming a migraine, and her sense of speech went with any sense of control right out the proverbial window._ _

__“I can’t help that I find you so damn-!” she stopped herself before she could literally say something that would completely destroy her life._ _

__Pitch, suddenly curious, looked over at Tooth with an intensity that made her uncomfortable, yet also made a strange heat flare up in her stomach. He grinned, walking towards Tooth suddenly. The fairy tensed and stepped back as the Boogeyman crowded her against a wall. Pressing her hands and the back of her heels into the wall, Pitch regarded her with that shit-eating grin of his. A flash of fangs made the fairy queen’s toes curl, and she bit her lip._ _

__“How cute…” Pitch crooned, bringing one hand up to plant on one side of Tooth’s head, essentially trapping her between him and a wall, “The little songbird is speechless.”_ _

__Did…did he just call her _songbird?_ Tooth’s vision wavered briefly, and she barely caught herself from falling over. She was revolted suddenly; she was swooning! _ _

__“Come now my dear, don’t be shy,” He crooned, leaning down towards her until their noses nearly touched, “Won’t you tell your dear Boogeyman what’s on your mind?”_ _

__Her Boogeyman. Yes, that sounded nice. _Her_ Boogeyman. Her snake, her raven, all _hers…__ _

__“It’s impolite to be so silent around your guest,” he breathed against her ear, startling a squeak from her, “Come now, you can tell me; what is it you are hiding from me?”_ _

__There was a saying Tooth had heard a long time ago; darkness is destruction and seduction. And Pitch, he was very much proving just how much he represented these words. Slowly, sadistically, he was destroying every defense she had mentally and physically. And like the snake he was, he was slowly winding around her with pretty words and dark promises whispered in her ear. Pitch was destruction and seduction._ _

__And she did _not_ want to fight it._ _

__“I…” she swallowed audibly, as if trying to choke her heart back down into her chest where it belonged._ _

__“Ye _ssss?_ ” he literally _hissed_ in her ear, his forked tongue flickering just below her ear. _ _

__Gasping, the fairy queen’s hands shot out and grabbed his shoulders unexpectedly. It drew an odd noise from the Boogeyman’s throat, almost like a silenced shout or snarl. She could not tell, but she _liked_ it._ _

__“I…!” Tooth screwed her eyes shut as a warm palm settled on her hip, and before she could stop herself, her mouth ran away from her._ _

__“I can’t help that I find you so damn attractive!” she shouted._ _

__Silence._ _

__Her eyes remained shut tight, but no sound was heard. Pitch said and did nothing. She could not see his face, and a part of her was glad for this. A whole minute passed of nothing but the rushing roar of falling water and hissing steam met their ears. And just as Tooth was about to open her eyes, she felt Pitch’s presence leave her, and she heard the door to the bathing room fly open and then slam shut. Her eyes opened, and she looked around._ _

__Pitch was gone. She was alone._ _

__And so realizing, and just now realizing just what she said, she covered her mouth with her hands and sank to the floor. What had she done…?_ _

__****_ _

~x~x~x~x~x~

Not happening, not happening – this was not _happening to him!_

Pitch was breathless, his chest heaving for air that would not come. His chest felt like it was under a compactor, and his heart was _erratic!_

He leaned gasping frantically against a wall in the vast maze of halls. Eyes wide, nausea rose into his gut, and seat broke out over his head. He clutched his chest, becoming all the more tighter and frantic. A sudden wash of vertigo hit him, and he collapsed onto his knees in panic.

Panic, panic, panic, no stop, don’t panic, you’re making it worse oh gods _he can’t breathe panic panic PANIC PANIC!_

Head swimming, Pitch swallowed the scream he so desperately wanted to release. He collapsed onto his side them, clutching his aching chest. Oh gods it hurt so much…!

 _‘I don’t understand…this wasn’t supposed to happen!’_ what was he doing? What was _she_ doing? What was he going to do!? 

He couldn’t do this; this was not a game anymore. No, this had turned into something far more serious. And he had to get out right now or suffer the consequences!

 _‘I can’t do this…’_ he groaned, shutting his eyes as his body started to calm.

What she had said…no, this could not happen. He would not allow it. He was the Boogeyman! He was incapable of such…such… _disgusting_ thoughts and feelings! He could not, would not, think such things about that fairy woman! He couldn’t…!

 _‘I need to get out of here…’_ covering his eyes with one hand, Pitch forced his energy back into his center and down into his legs.

His legs merged and became the long, scaly tail he had become so familiar with over the past few weeks. The body he so loved to hate and hated to love. The body that _she_ had come to know so well…

Pitch hid inside his coils, uncaring of where he was or how he looked. The towel he used lay abandoned on the floor. He felt miserable, this unknown feeling, this ache, in his chest only making his pained body feel even worse.

He couldn’t do this. He could not stay here any longer. He had to leave, and soon.

Pitch had never felt so defeated in his life…

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my new poll on my FF.net page!


	14. Chapter 14

Pitch wasn’t sure how long it had been, but he was pretty sure he has gone three days without seeing his hostess. Meals were either brought to him by a few fairies – consisting of Vidya and Baby-Tooth – or left for him by his makeshift bed before he woke up or when he came back from scouring the library. 

It was disconcerting at best. But then again, he somewhat preferred it this way. If Tooth were still showing up in person and attempting, god forbid, to start a conversation with him, he was sure his head would implode. He was not mentally, emotionally, or even physically prepared for such an encounter, and especially after such a…rather strange conversation that only happened a few days ago.

The Boogeyman sighed, rubbing his temples. There was no hiding the fact he was glad she was avoiding him. If she weren’t, he certainly would be avoiding her. Though it wouldn’t be as simple; he was rather limited in terms of where he could go. And his powers weren’t getting any better. 

Right now, Pitch could not deal with being near Tooth right now. So for now, he relied on entertainment by a certain spectacled Mini-fairy. 

“Check.” He stated, moving a rook so it was in range of Vidya’s king.

The fairy growled, scratching her head as she tried to devise a strategy to get her out of losing for what had to be the fiftieth time in a row. She hasn’t once come close to beating Pitch at the damn game!

“Give up?” Pitch droned. 

Vidya looked up at the Boogeyman, quirking a brow. He sounded utterly bored, but in reality, he was just drained. He was exhausted, both mentally and physically, and he hasn’t even really done anything yet. He would certainly kill to move around a bit, but at the same time, he didn’t think he would survive a simple stroll in the palace. Too many things in the palace reminded him of Tooth, and just so much as even _thinking_ about her sent him reeling.

Across from him, Vidya frowned. He may or may not know it, but she wasn’t oblivious to what was going on. She may not have been there, but rumors in the Tooth Palace spread quicker than wildfire. Apparently another Mini-fairy had overheard them in their queen’s bathhouse, and told as many of her sisters as she could. Now not only did the whole palace know of him being here, but they knew Tooth was, dare she say it, _infatuated_ with Pitch. 

Oddly though, no one has confronted the two about any of this. Vidya could only guess they never came to Pitch because they were intimidated by him, and they left their queen be because they didn’t want to bother her. It was strange to both her and Baby-Tooth, but the two fairies didn’t both trying to dwell on the matter. Right now, both were trying to figure out how to fix this mess.

She sighed, throwing her arms up in the air; surrender.

Pitch snorted and tipped her king over, “Checkmate…”

Vidya shrugged, before picking up a pencil that was about twice her height, and started writing in a pocket sized journal – she made a point in keeping journals placed around the library near Pitch whenever they needed to communicate. It certainly made conversations much easier. 

_Are you alright?_ She wrote.

Pitch read the question with hazy eyes, not entirely seeing what was placed before him. He sighed. 

“I am fine, Vidya.” He said, resetting the chess board. 

The Mini-fairy wasn’t buying it. She scribbled more onto her journal, crossing her arms as she shoved the small booklet over the board, knocking over the pieces Pitch had set up. The Boogeyman scowled at the fairy, but nonetheless, read what she had to say.

“…‘talk to her’?” he read, “Not a chance. If she wants to talk, she knows where to find me.”

Vidya growled, jabbing a tiny finger at the paper. Pitch scoffed.

“And what exactly do you expect me to say?” he asked heatedly, “Hey, sorry I freaked out on you after you pretty much confessed to having some sort of sick infatuation with me, but I’m not interested. You expect me to say something like that?”

Vidya’s deadpan expression told him no.

“Then what!?” he snapped.

Vidya sighed, taking up her pencil again. She adjusted her glasses as she flipped to a new page, and started writing again. This time when she was done, she tore it out and flew up to Pitch’s face, shoving the paper in his face.

Pitch growled and snatched the paper away, reading it. His brow show up into his hairline, and he regarded Vidya with a slightly impressed look.

“Your vocabulary is both colorful and to the point,” he deadpanned, before balling the paper up and tossing it over his shoulder, “But it’s still no. I don’t even know where she is!”

Vidya chirped aggressively, pointing to the door leading out of the library. Pitch crossed his arms.

“I don’t know _what_ gave you the idea that you could order me around,” he said, “But just so you know, I’m not leaving just because you want her and I to have a little chat. And it’s not like you can force me.”

Vidya felt her face turn red, only becoming more aggravated as Pitch only smirked at her. 

“Now then, unless you wish to have your tail-feathers handed to you again, I suggest you find something else to do.” He said.

_“Well fine! Maybe I will!”_ she snapped back, despite the fact he could not understand her. 

She threw her pencil onto the table and flitted off in a huff. Pitch scoffed, regarding the ruined chess board in front of him. His jaw tightened and he snarled, slithering for one of the study rooms.

Once inside, he slammed the door shut and locked the door, slumping into his coils with a huff.

No, he was not going to discuss anything with Toothiana. Ever. Things were too complicated, too strained right now. Right now, he was going to focus on getting some power back, and leaving. It simply was not worth it staying here anymore. 

His fists curled into tight fists, his knuckles turning bone white. No, he was _not_ going to stay here any longer. Screw their deal. Tomorrow, he would find some kind of solution to his predicament, and leave. 

It wasn’t _safe_ here anymore…

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

“New Mexico, Lateral Incisor! Go! Oh, and don’t forget that pair of canines in New York! Yes, those ones, now go!”

At any other time, Baby-Tooth would be questioning what had shot her queen’s nerves so thoroughly these past few days. But really, she was well aware of what – or rather who – had caused the once level headed fairy queen to go into a complete frenzy.

It was just what he said or did that Baby-Tooth was not privy to. And really, she had to know so she could have an excuse to peck his eyes out. But Tooth, no matter how much she pestered her queen, would not talk.

The Mini-fairy chirped at her queen insistently. 

“It’s nothing Baby-Tooth, we’re busy today. South Carolina, Central Incisor!” Tooth was barley paying any attention to Baby-Tooth, much to the Mini-fairy’s chagrin.

She sighed, _“Mom, come on! I know something is wrong. Now come on, just tell me, maybe I can help!”_

“Baby-Tooth, nothing is wrong! Nothing happened between me and Pitch!”

The Mini-fairy quirked a brow, crossing tiny arms, _“Odd, I never mentioned Pitch.”_

Tooth froze, her cheeks coloring a deep red color. Baby-Tooth gave her queen a look that clearly said she was not going to buy anymore of her excuses or brush-offs. 

“I…” Tooth swallowed, not meeting Baby-Tooth’s eyes, “I-I never mentioned him…”

_“Uh-huh…”_ Baby-Tooth planted tiny fists on her hips and flitted in front of her queen’s face, eyes narrowed, _“Now fess up! What did he say? Did he do something to you?”_

“What? No!” Tooth snapped, catching the attention of the various other fairies up on her platform.

_“Then what? What is making you so frantic? You nearly sent a whole squad to the middle of nowhere, knocked eight fairies out of flight from moving around so much, and you broke – BROKE – three teeth!”_

“Baby-Tooth, even if there was something wrong, it’s none of your business!”

_“I think it is when it comes to you! Now what is going on!?”_

“Nothing!”

_“Bull crap.”_

“Baby-Tooth!”

_“Tooth, I swear by the Moon, if you do not tell me what is going on right now, I’m going to get Jack and show him the whole problem in our library.”_

It was like a string had snapped in Tooth’s head when Baby-Tooth said that. She seemed to deflate, but was still completely tense, her wings beating a mile a minute.

“I…I…” Baby-Tooth frowned at the muttered reply Tooth gave.

_“What?”_ she asked.

“I…I said…” But again, Tooth mutters her reply so quietly, Baby-Tooth could not make heads or tails of what she said. She sighed.

_“Mom, I can’t understand you when you talk through your teeth,”_ she said, _“Now come on! What did he do!?”_

Face red as a tomato, Tooth veered on Baby-Tooth, and with a shrill voice not at all befitting her, screamed, 

"I SAID HE WAS ATTRACTIVE OKAY?!"

Silence.

And it took Tooth a moment to realize how silent it was. And when she did, she looked up and around her. Every single fairy within a one mile distance had landed, and was now just _staring_ at her as if she had grown a second head. Eyes wide, and mouth pulled into a tight line, Tooth felt her face _somehow_ become hotter, the stark red contrasting against her plumage. 

Baby-Tooth looked quite stunned herself, and being the only one still in the air, looked about ready to just drop out of the air at any time. But she quickly collected herself, and made as if to speak again. But she was cut off when Tooth let out a frustrated sound between a groan and a closed-mouth shriek, and bolted for her room. Vaguely, Baby-Tooth heard her queen’s door slam shut, and she blinked owlishly. 

Wide eyed, she looked over at her sisters, all of who were openly staring at her with questioning eyes.

_“…well don’t just stand there, get back to work!”_ she snapped.

And as if a switch had been flipped, everyone got back to their job in a flurry of buzzing wings and iridescent colors. Baby-Tooth sighed, rubbing her temples. By the Moon, _that_ was what had Tooth’s tail feathers in a knot? Because she had called the Boogeyman attractive? Granted, she knew there was more to the story then what she thought, and she planned to find out what had gone down between the two, but _still_.

She chirped to one of her passing sisters, asking her to take her shift, before she flitted off for the library where she knew another fairy would be able to explain the situation resided. 

Entering the vast library through a series of Mini-fairy tunnels and passage ways, she eventually emerged into the silent, cavernous library. A handful of her sisters were flitting about the books, some resting and reading, while others were searching for a specific book. She looked around, trying to spot her bespectacled sister, but saw no sign of her.

Frowning, she flew further into the library, before she flew around a corner that led to Pitch’s little ‘nest’. It was empty, and the only one in the round little room was her sister, Vidya. 

_“Vidya!”_ she called, flitting over to the Mini-fairy sat atop a chess board.

Vidya barely paid Baby-Tooth any mind as the Mini-fairy landed beside her, her focus on glaring at the black king too intense.

_"What are you doing here?"_ She asked grouchily, _"I thought you were on deputy duty today with Tooth."_

Baby-Tooth looked slightly surprised at her sister's attitude. With a raised brow, she crossed her tiny arms and rolled her eyes, _'God who put sour nectar in everyone's tea this morning?'_

_"I was,"_ She responded almost as grouchily as her sister, _"But now she's locked herself in her room and won’t come out, so I'm momentarily off the hook."_

Vidya raised a brow at her sister, _"Why? Something happen? Pitch is pretty much doing the same right now."_

Baby-Tooth felt herself smirk, though she was slightly shocked. Pretty much every one of her sisters had already heard about what had happened with their queen's little 'blow up'. Her sister must have been locking herself away in the library by herself again to not have heard the news.

_"Oh, no reason really."_ She said with a small shrug, her eyes sparkling with mischief and that all too familiar shit eating smirk that was almost a perfect mirror image of a certain infamous winter spirit they all knew and practically worshiped.

Baby-Tooth causally sauntered over to one of the black pawns on the board and leaned up against it as her sister regarded her curiously.

_"Just that she had a little blow up in the middle of the work where she admitted that she had called Pitch 'attractive' before flying away in embarrassment."_

Vidya's eyes widened, her glasses sliding slightly down her nose. Shaking her head, she repositioned the spectacles and leaned forward anxiously towards Baby-Tooth.

_"For real? She did? In the middle of the whole hoard?"_ she shook her head in disbelief, sighing, _"Ugh, this is getting out of hand. It will be no time before things here start falling apart and Tooth starts to panic. And that's no good for our work, or their mental state."_

Baby-Tooth nodded in agreement; this really was ridiculous and it had to stop. 

_"So what happened with you then? You said Pitch was acting the same as mom."_ She said, wondering what could have possibly happened to piss her sister off like this. Was it possible for Pitch to be a bigger ass then he already was?

She still hadn't forgiven him for his little stunt where he acted like he was going to eat her.

Vidya sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose, _"We were playing chess, and I was TRYING to convince him to talk to Tooth about the...incident...sad to say he got mad after I tried to be more assertive, and he basically told me to piss off."_

She sighed, nudging a pawn slightly, _"He's in one of the study rooms now, doing Moon knows what. He seemed agitated, nervous almost. I'm worried for him..."_

Baby-Tooth felt her eyes widen before she raised a brow at her sister, _“Worried? About PITCH? Moon above if Jack ever found out about this..._

_"And he's not going to now is he?"_ Vidya emphasized with a deep frown at her sister, _"Look, I know you don't like Pitch - no one around here is too fond of him. But really, he is a nice guy once you get to know him. Kind of gruff, a bit of a smartass, but hey, the guy's an amazing chess player..."_

When all she got was Baby-Tooth's deadpan staring, she continued, _"Look, all I'm saying is to not judge him by past events. Yeah, he enslaved us all and nearly wiped out belief in our mom and the other Guardians. But come on, when you're desperate, you’d do anything. And I think something's wrong with him."_

Baby-Tooth rolled her eyes, but had to admit her sister was right. She knew she wasn't going to tell Jack about this, though she knew damn well she was never going to hear the end from him when he did find out, and that was pretty much a given. The Nightmare King lives at the Tooth Palace for the whole summer and no one finds out? Yeah, and the Man in the Moon was actually a chick.

Didn't mean she had to like the guy though...

In all honesty, she was more worried about her mother. And clearly what was wrong with her was also what was wrong with Pitch, so...

Crap. She was going to slap herself for this later, she just knew it...

_"So what do you suggest we do?"_ She finally asked.

Vidya frowned in contemplative thought, a hand at her chin. Her crest twitched and her wings fluttered as her thoughts ran through various variables and ideas they could use. So far, nothing was standing out that wouldn't blow up back in their faces. Pitch was like the cat hater's cat; he was all snark and bristling spit and fire. Any wrong move, or a wrong look, could set him off. And while Tooth may not be as prickly, she was still sensitive and could go off when in such a stressed state. They needed to handle this delicately...

She bit her lip, an idea coming to mind. She wasn't too sure about it, but it could just work.

_"I think I have an idea..."_ she said.

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

Tooth sighed, rubbing her forehead in exaggeration. A headache was already setting in, and pretty soon she was sure it was going to become a migraine.

She was not mentally qualified for all of this. NO ONE is mentally qualified for this! And people who say they are are liars!

_"It's not my fault that I find you so attractive!"_

She said that...she had _said that_. Why? Why did she say it? How could she have said it? And Pitch, of all the things he could have done - he freaked out! Or so she's assuming. She hasn't seen him since the whole incident in case he was angry, upset, or god forbid, smug about the whole thing. 

"How could I be such an idiot...?" She said to herself before literally throwing herself onto the silken covers of her bed, burying her face in a pillow and not giving a single damn about how much of a melodramatic teenager she looked like.

The truth was she didn't freaking know why she said it…okay that wasn't true. She knew EXACTLY why she said it she just didn't know, well, _WHY!_

Why couldn't she have said something else?! _Anything else!_ She knew he was attractive, clearly she knew because she had gone and blurted it out for the whole Moon-damned world to hear! But why did it have to come out like that?! Hence she knew 'why', she just didn't know 'WHY!'

_Why did this have to happen to her!?_

She groaned, pulling a pillow up and over her face. She wanted to scream so badly, but she had spent the last ten minutes doing so into a pillow. And right now, her throat was raw and sore, and she really did not have the energy to continue anymore. Plus, her pillow didn’t deserve the treatment she was inflicting upon it. It would need therapy after this. _She_ would need therapy after this…

The fairy queen sighed raggedly, rolling over onto her side so she was facing the opposite wall of her room. What was she going to do? She couldn’t just go to Pitch and pretend nothing had happened! The smug bastard would surely bring it up and rub it in her face, and Tooth was certain she did not have the physical ability to deal with that. 

But really, she was still more focused on why she had said it. By all accounts, Pitch was actually a very attractive man. He was all height and dominating stance, cat-like resolve and serpentine grace. Long limbs, a lithe body, and a swan’s neck, coupled with his intense eyes, large hands, and feverish body, Pitch was a man any woman worth her salt would go after. His dark aura and almost bad-boy behavior was just a bonus to him, and with his rumbling, deep, accented voice that sent shivers right down into her core…

Yes, it was very clear why she said what she had said. While his physical attractiveness was a very much valid point for her, she could not for the life of her figure out why she was attracted to him!

A good looking man does not always mean a good personality – and Pitch was anything but a good personality. He was all spit, fire, and venomous resolve. All the spite he held for her and the Guardians was palpable, and not to mention his _teeth!_

Tooth cringed, peeking out over her pillow. No, that was false. Apparently Pitch’s teeth were fine, from what she saw when he was unconscious. It didn’t take long for her to figure out that his former image of horrid teeth was a glamour to make him appear more deadly and intimidating. They weren’t perfect, but god damn, that body. That chest. Those hands. Those eyes. Those _FANGS-_

_‘Ugh, no, stop!’_ she thought, mentally kicking herself. 

This was not working out. Her whole plan – what even _was_ her plan? – was completely backfiring on her. And for what? A measly scale of which she had yet to even accomplish polishing?

Turning her head, Tooth looked up at her nightstand, where the scale she had been trying to polish sat on a silken rag next to a bottle of polish. Reaching up, she picked the scale up and held it in between her fingers as she sat up crossed-legged. She cradled the little black scale in her palms, the edged still as sharp as ever, but somehow were slightly duller then when she had started off. It was still dull, almost like a lump of coal, but it somehow did not seem as dull as before. She was making progress – slow progress, but at least it was going along.

_‘I should have it done in the next few years or so…’_ she thought sarcastically. 

She sighed, about to put the scale away, but her attention was caught by an insistent pounding on her door.

_“Mom! Mom!”_ she heard Baby-Tooth call frantically. 

And whether it was from instinct, or the frantic way Baby-Tooth was calling her, Tooth got up and flitted for her door, opening it.

“What is it?” she asked.

Baby-Tooth looked frantic, her feathers flared and eyes wide. Immediately Tooth was concerned, and watched as Baby-Tooth pointed out into the palace as if she wanted her to see something.

_“You need to come quick! One of the bookcases in the library fell over, and some fairies are trapped underneath!”_ she exclaimed.

Tooth gasped, a hand flying to her mouth, while the other clutched the scale tightly.

“What!?” she rasped.

_“I’m serious! You need to hurry! I think one of them is hurt!”_ Baby-Tooth cried.

“Okay, okay, let’s go!” Tooth didn’t even wait for Baby-Tooth, and took off for the library…

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

At any other time, Pitch would be scolding himself for his attitude. Because right now, if anyone were to see him as he was now, they would say he was sulking.

But he was Pitch Black, the Boogeyman – he did not sulk.

He _broods._

Sulking was for immature teenagers and children. _Sulking_ and _brooding_ were two _completely_ different things! Pitch Black did not sulk. Period. 

…he just so happened to be brooding while he had his head buried in a pillow.

“Ugh…” he groaned, turning his head to get some fresh air into his lungs.

So far, slow suffocation as not doing him any good. He has so far run through every kind of solution that would prevent him from thinking about _the incident_ from a couple days ago. As of now, since lack of oxygen killed brain cells, he theorized that if he was depraved of it enough, he would forget the whole thing entirely. So far, he has only succeeded in giving himself a splitting headache and blurry vision. 

Breathing deeply through his nose, the Boogeyman scrubbed a hand over his face in exaggeration. Why? Why was this happening? What the absolute hell has gotten into Toothiana? He had only been teasing her to make her uncomfortable! He had never actually meant to…well… _seduce_ her! 

_‘Is it odd that I do not feel the least bit accomplished in seducing one of the Guardians…?’_ he thought. 

And really, he wasn’t. Pitch was not the type of man to pursue relationships – not now at least. He was a hunted animal with nothing to offer. Sure, he’s had numerous spirits – both male and female – court and flirt with him plenty of times. But he always turned them down – either politely like a gentleman, or by the point of his scythe. 

But he is a man in the end, and he’s had ‘casual meetings’ with spirits, but that’s it. Nothing romantic had ever come of his random romps in the sheets. Granted, a couple didn’t seem to get the message and he would wake up with them still in his bed the next morning and asking him if he wanted breakfast. This is where having Nightmares came in handy – and the ability to shape yourself into one’s worst fear. 

He sighed, rubbing his forehead. He didn’t even think he was that physically appealing! He knew he was handsome to a degree, but he was all skinny limbs and aquiline nose. His narcissism was a good farce to hide this insecurity of his. But Tooth…

She was beautiful. Lovely and as delicate looking as a hummingbird, yet as fierce and swift as a hawk. She was everything he himself could never hope to have in a lover. Where he had a skinny, unhealthy looking body, she was all curves and soft shapes. She was a real woman; generous hips, soft curves, large eyes, and pure grace and beauty. 

And Pitch – thin, ashen skinned, hard edged, and darkness – what could he possibly offer one as lovely as Toothiana?

He scowled, sharp fingers digging into the nest of scales he was curled in. No, he was not attracted to her. He was in no way _infatuated_ with her!

He groaned, screwing his eyes shut as he clamped his hands over his ears. 

“Get it together, Pitch…” he rasped, shoulders shaking, “Don’t feel, don’t feel – you don’t _feel_.”

It was like a mantra rolling off of his tongue. A muttered curse, a damned lie, all flying past his lips in rhythmic gasps. 

He groaned, his body shuddering as he curled tightly around himself in a protective ball, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip painfully. He could feel a vein in his temple pulsing erratically, his own heart pounding like a jackhammer into his ribs. He felt faint…

And a strange thumping sound was suddenly in his hearing. At first he thought it was the sound of his heartbeat, but the rhythm was too quick. And there was a…squeaking noise? 

Eyes opening, Pitch removed his hands from his ears and turned over towards the door. Sure enough, he could hear someone – a very tiny someone – pounding frantically at his door. He could also hear frantic squeaking and chirping.

“Vidya…?” he called tentatively. 

A shrill groaning noise, and the knocking stopped. A moment passed before the handle suddenly started to jiggle, and the lock made off clicking noises. The door suddenly swung open, and admitted one very flustered looking fairy with a slightly bent beak, and her glasses held in one hand.

_“Pitch!”_ she yelled, flitting over to him and grabbing his hand, _“Quick! Come quick!”_

“What the-? Vidya, I said to leave me alone!” Pitch snapped, taking his hand back.

Vidya groaned, gesturing to the door, _“No! You need to come outside NOW!”_

“What the bloody hell has gotten into you?” Pitch growled.

Vidya growled right back at him. And instead of getting him to get up off his scaly ass, she pointed to her beak, and then to his hand. Pitch looked form her to his hand, and snarled.

“Oh I _dare-_ ”

_“I’ll do it.”_ She threatened. 

Pitch bore his teeth at the fairy, but she was not swayed. And for good reason. Despite his outward demeanor, he simply did not have the ability to harm the Mini-fairy. Somehow down the line, he grew attached to the little bookworm, and found himself unable to think ill of her. No matter how annoying she was being.

And right now, her message was clear – _get your ass out into the library, or I poke a hole in your hand, asshat._

And sadly, Pitch couldn’t even snap at her.

He sighed.

“Fine…” he sighed.

Vidya beamed, clapping her tiny hands together before gesturing wildly for Pitch to follow her. With sluggish movements, Pitch unraveled himself, and followed her out into the main library. But they were not heading for his little nest of the chess board. Rather, she was leading him to one of the study rooms off towards the back of the library. The study room they entered was quite large, with arching windows that covered one whole wall, the light from outside casting the room in an array of colors from the stained glass. 

A single table dominated the whole room, with only a single chair, and a chess board atop the table. 

And sitting at said table, was none other than Tooth herself.

Pitch blinked, eyes wide as eh veered around to Vidya.

“What is going-!?”

Vidya had already slammed the door shut, but not before he caught a glimpse of a smugly smirking Baby-Tooth beside her. They heard the lock of the door click shut, and Baby-Tooth chirp out,

_“We’ll let you out in an hour!”_ she called, _“Try not to kill each other!”_

_“Sorry Pitch!”_ Vidya chirped in.

And with the faint flutter of wings, they were gone from the door.

And Tooth and Pitch were together in the room. Alone.

…

… _shit._

To be continued…


	15. Chapter 15

At the moment, neither Pitch nor Tooth could escribe the situation as ‘awkward’. Because quite simply, there simply was not an existing word to describe how utterly screwed up this whole thing was. There was not a single word, or sentence, in existence that could describe this utterly perfect pile of _crap._

Tooth and Pitch stared at one another with wide, stunned eyes. It was as if both of them were a couple of deer caught in headlights. Both could hear their own pulses in their ears, oddly steady yet thunderous. Both could feel beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, and suddenly the room was too warm and too small. 

Both were silent for far too long a time. They both actively wondered if it’s been an hour yet. Pitch not so discreetly reached over for the doorknob and jiggled it. Nope, still locked.

“…I’m breaking down the door.” He deadpanned.

“Wait, no don’t-!” Tooth suddenly covered her mouth, wide eyed.

Pitch, his tail poised to be thrown against the door, froze and slowly turned to Tooth. He seemed shocked that she had even spoken, even more so to prevent him from creating an escape for them both. 

Tooth bit her lip, her cheeks coloring. A part of her was wondering why she had told him to stop; he could easily get them out of the room. Her doors weren’t exactly vault doors; his large tail could easily break it down so they could hunt the two fairies responsible for this down and give them a right scolding. 

But something had prompted her to stop him. 

And no matter how many times she would ask herself _why_ , she knew damn well why she stopped him.

She sighed, rubbing her forehead. Looking to the chess board, as if for inspiration, Tooth blurted out the first thing that came to her mind then. 

“Do…do you want to play?” she asked dumbly – she would no sooner make an odd face at how utterly stupid her question sounded. 

And judging by Pitch’s expression, he was thinking along the same lines. Or he was at least wondering whatever it was she was smoking to prompt such a rather random question. She bit her lip as Pitch said nothing, and only continued to stare at her with wide, unblinking eyes. He was a statue, stalk-still and unwilling to avert his gaze from her. It was disconcerting at best, and it had Tooth flickering her gaze from Pitch to the floor and back again.

She had to wonder if he hadn’t heard her – or perhaps he was questioning what she even said. She was about to open her mouth and repeat herself, but Pitch beat her to it.

“You still have it.” He suddenly said, startling her.

“H-huh?” she asked dumbly. Pitch nodded towards her hand.

“The scale…” he said.

Blinking, Tooth looked down at her hand, and was surprised to see the scale he had given her clutched in her palm. She had completely forgotten it was even there!

“Oh! Uh, yeah, I…I’m still working on it…” she said meekly, wondering if Pitch was disappointed in the little progress she made in polishing it. 

But he only nodded, “I see…I am surprised.”

“Why?” Tooth asked. Pitch turned fully to her, crossing his arms while his coils arranged themselves into a comfortable position.

“I honestly expected you to throw it away, or forget about it.” He said. Tooth frowned.

“And why would I do that?” she asked. She almost sounded offended.

Pitch’s answer was to shrug, “It’s not exactly a ‘pretty’ scale, and I did not think you were serious when you said you wanted to ‘get to know me’, as you said.”

Tooth blinked slowly, stunned. But then again, she was not nearly as surprised that Pitch admitted he did not think she would follow through. A part of her was shocked she even _did_ want to follow through. And right now, Tooth just wanted to get this hour over with and have things go back to normal.

_‘And having the Boogeyman living in your home is considered ‘normal’ for you now?’_ a part of her asked.

Fiddling with the scale, she ignored her more cynical side and chewed on her bottom lip. She carefully set it on the table beside the chess board, folding her hands neatly in her lap. She regarded Pitch seriously then.

“Pitch, I think we need to talk.” She said.

The Boogeyman narrowed his eyes, but made no immediate move to retaliate. This surprised Tooth, but at the same time, she knew that both of them were simply too mentally taxed to put up much of a fight. This was as close to a reluctant truce as she was going to get with him.

“…yes, I suppose we do.” He said flatly.

Tooth swallowed at the intense way he was looking at her. She gestured to the other side of the table, uncertain.

“So…should we play while we…talk?” she asked.

Pitch said nothing. But much to her shock, he nodded and slithered wearily over to her. He folded and wove his coils in the traditional way he would sit on them, forming an almost large chair for himself. Once comfortable, he crossed his arms and looked over at Tooth.

“Your move.” He said.

Unable to come up with a response, Tooth only nodded stiffly and moved a pawn. Pitch moved a Knight straight away after her. Tooth paused, as if contemplating her next move, before she decided to also move a knight.

Long minutes went by with the two of them dwelling in nothing but a tense silence. Quietly, both were scolding themselves for the dead silence. One of them _had_ to say something, but so far neither could think of anything to say. And neither were willing to be the idiot to break the silence. Not as a means of pride, but as a result of fearing the awkwardness would become worse.

But one of them had to say something, and by the ten minute mark. Tooth couldn’t take it anymore.

“So…” she started uncertainly, “How…how have you been?”

She wanted to cringe at how lame her question was. But nonetheless, Pitch answered as stoically as he had before.

“Fine…” he said, moving a Rook to take one of her pawns. 

Tooth felt her brow twitch, _‘Come on Pitch, it takes two to have a conversation! Throw me a bone here!’_

“Um…” hand hovering over a Bishop, she tentatively moved it to take a pawn from Pitch’s side, “How’s the library been? Still good?”

She watched in an almost chagrined way as Pitch took her Bishop in a surprise attack by a Knight.

“It has been good,” he said, “Very helpful in alleviating boredom. Vidya has been an especially gracious hostess.” 

Tooth smiled slightly at this. Whether he was aware of it or not, she was glad he had complimented the little bookworm fairy. Vidya had always been a bit of a loner, always preferring to shut herself inside with a good book, and barely paying her sisters – or anyone – any mind. She used to be such a shy little thing; but now she was thriving, leaving the library more often, and conversing with her sisters. It was so odd that it was _Pitch_ of all people who had accomplished what Tooth herself and her fairies have tried for decades now. 

_‘That doesn’t mean her and Baby-Tooth aren't going to be grounded for the next three centuries after this…’_ Tooth mused in the back of her head as she hesitantly moved back one of her own Knights, who was now in danger of being taken by Pitch's queen.

"I'm glad that you say that..." She said tentatively, refusing to remove her eyes from the board, "She's…well she's really opened up a lot since you got here."

"Has she...?" Pitch commented, moving his queen back to be near his king.

Tooth nodded, taking a moment to decide her next move - both on and off the board.

"I..." she cleared her throat, casting a glance to the scale beside the board, "Pitch, I...I want us to talk about what happened a few days-"

"Toothiana..." Pitch cut in with a sigh, "I will openly talk about anything besides that event. Quite frankly, I would just like to forget it even happened. And I suspect you do as well."

Tooth felt her eyes go slightly wide at that. _Oh..._

For half of a second she had to just pause to register the information, before she had to forcibly hold herself from practically face-planting into the table as she deflated in relief. He didn't want to talk about it. He _didn’t want to talk about it!_ She was internally thanking the Moon above for this fact as she suddenly felt the tension she had been working up for days start to leave her body.

More than 99% of her mind was practically screaming with joyous relief, while another part was slightly berating her for being such an idiot.

He's _PITCH!_ The _BOOGEYMAN!_ Of course he wouldn't want to talk about it! No one would want to talk about it, but especially not _him!_ It was just a fluke, an accident! He'd probably never even be bothered by something so stupid. Now they could just both ignore it and completely forget it ever even happened; because there was no point on dwelling on a meaningless mistake like that!

That's what the majority of her brain was thinking. However, that tiny, little 1% that was quietly yet insistently echoing in the back of her head was telling a whole other story.

But she ignored that measly side of her. If he did not want to talk about _The Incident_ , well that was fine by her - better than fine!

And he said he would talk about anything else. So maybe now was her chance to really get to know him now.

"I see..." she said, a bit more chipper than she should be, "So...I can ask you anything now?"

"Within reason." Pitch said.

Fair enough, Tooth thought. Thinking carefully, Tooth creased her brows as she tried to think of a good question for him. Something that didn’t sound insulting, stupid, or otherwise give him reason to completely turn it around on her with a sarcastic and biting retort.

“Do…do you have any friends?” she asked. But she no sooner cringed; the question sounded so much better in her head. But saying it out loud…

“Yes, I do.” Pitch said calmly, nudging a discarded pawn.

Tooth blinked, surprised, “You do?”

Pitch narrowed his eyes at her, offended, “Of course I do. We may not be as close or social as you and the Guardians, but yes, I have a few close friends. We just don’t talk much…”

“How come?” Tooth asked curiously. If Pitch had friends, why was he so bitter and lonely?

The Boogeyman’s eyes clouded slightly, the lids half closing. He sighed through his nose, thin fingers playing with the pawn.

“I do not want them to get hurt…” he said quietly. 

Tooth frowned, “I don’t understand…?”

“No, you wouldn’t, would you?” Pitch laughed ruefully, “By now you should know anyone associated with me is a danger to you. I make a point in avoiding them to keep you lot away from them.”

The fairy queen felt her heart skip a beat at what Pitch had said. Her mind blanked out, and yet a part of her seemed to light up with clarity. Pitch…he was isolating himself on purpose. To protect the few friends he had. As much as she did not want to admit it, he was right. Anyone, spirit or otherwise, associated with the Boogeyman would immediately be under their suspicion. Who would willing befriend the _Boogeyman?_ Bunny would likely think they were scheming something, and North would likely agree. And with North on his side, Sandy, Jack, and even she would follow suit. And they could hurt a completely innocent spirit…

Pitch continued during her thoughts, catching her attention.

“It’s always been that way…” he said, “Ever since the end of the Dark Ages, the few friends I make need to be held at arm’s length. They are so stubborn, thinking they are safe from you. But it is not that simple. If it means keeping them, though at a distance, I will stay away from them…”

His fingers clutched the pawn, eyes narrowing as they once again clouded over.

“I couldn’t do it before, but now…”

“Before what?” Tooth asked.

Pitch flinched and looked up with wide eyes as Tooth, as if just now realizing she was there. His lips thinned into a narrow line, and he averted his gaze down to the chess board.

“Before _that boy_ …” he said.

Tooth’s eyes widened, and she felt her hands spasm against her game piece. She could feel her heart picking up speed in her chest suddenly, and her hearing was invaded by a sharp ringing.

“The boy…” she rasped.

Pitch’s shoulders tensed, and he glared at the chess board. He did not say anything, but Tooth suddenly found her voice and used it.

“Pitch…” she started uncertainly, “Please, tell me the truth…did he really mean so little to you? Your own Believer?”

His jaw tightened, but somehow, Pitch found the ability to speak, though stiffly.

“He was a boy…” he said, “I had no qualms with him following me around, but I only ever cared for the fear he fed to me.”

Tooth slumped slightly, as if disappointed, “What about when he…when he died?”

Pitch shook his head, refusing to meet her gaze, “He got the death he most wanted. He was unafraid, and because of that, he was nothing in the end to me.”

Tooth felt her heart break slightly. While a part of her knew his answer would be as callous as before, she still partly hoped it would be different this time. But no, it was just as before. He did not care for the little boy who virtually became his own shadow, who talked to and looked up to him like he would a guide; a Guardian.

_“He got the death he most wanted. He was unafraid, and because of that, he was nothing in the end to me.”_

_“He was unafraid, and because of that, he was nothing in the end to me.”_

_“He was unafraid.”_

_“He was **unafraid.** ”_

Unafraid…Tooth frowned, suddenly confused.

“Wait…how do you know he wasn’t afraid?” she asked curiously.

Pitch suddenly tensed, glaring sharply at the ground. He didn't say anything at first, his body rigid. He seemed to be considering something mentally, as if trying to figure out what he was going to say - or how to say it.

Tooth continued, "How…how do you know how he felt about his death?" she asked.

Pitch's eyes shifted to Toothiana from the floor, his golden irises still narrowed into a sharp glare as he regarded to fairy queen coolly.

"Just a guess." he finally said, moving a pawn.

Tooth's frown only deepened, "No, you said the same thing during the fight. How do you know he didn't fear his death?"

Pitch seemed to cringe and refused to meet her eyes.

"How could he not fear his death?" Tooth asked more strongly, “He was murdered!”

Silence. Pitch said absolutely nothing, and seemed to be making an effort in ignoring Tooth. His arms wrapped tightly around himself, shoulders hunched; as if he was trying to hide himself.

Something wasn't right. Tooth scrutinized Pitch heavily, suspicious. How would Pitch know how the boy felt during his time of dying? How did he even know he died without her mentioning it in the first place? She never said he had died during their confrontation - just that he was gone. How did he know any of this...?

It suddenly clicked.

"You knew..." she rasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

"Knew what..." Pitch grunted, though he said it like a statement rather than a question.

"You knew he was killed. You knew-" she paused, suddenly paling in realization, "Pitch...were you _there?_ "

Pitch did not answer her. He didn't even look at her. Tooth covered her mouth in horrid realization.

"You knew!" she exclaimed, "You...you were _THERE!?_ "

"Enough..." Pitch growled.

"Oh god, you were THERE. You were there and SAW IT!" she rasped, disbelief painting her features.

"I am not going to discuss this with you." Pitch suddenly said. He turned to slither away and possibly find a secluded area in the library, but was stopped when an outraged looking fairy queen blocked his way.

"How could you not have said anything!?" she said.

"What business was it of yours!?" Pitch snapped, snarling at the fairy.

"It's completely my business! He was just a child! All children are my responsibility!"

"Oh that is complete bull crap! Not every child can be saved in the world!"

"While that may be true, at least we try and save who we can! You could have done something!"

"He was not my responsibility!"

_SLAP!_

"He was a CHILD!" Tooth screamed, pulling her hand back from delivering a swift slap to the stunned Boogeyman's face.

Pitch lifted a hand to his face, touching fingers to the quickly bruising flesh of his cheek. His eyes were wide but Tooth felt no sympathy for the obviously pained man. He suddenly snarled, gritting his teeth as he looked away from Tooth.

“You don’t know me…” he growled.

“I know enough to know that you would just abandon a small, helpless boy to be murdered!” Tooth snapped, “How could you!? I never even thought you could be so low!”

“Stop it, Toothiana…!” Pitch growled, his breath quickening.

“He was just a BOY! And you stood by and let him die!” Tooth cried, tears gathering in her eyes as her previous image of Pitch shattered, “Why? Why would you just let it happen? Why did you let him die?”

“Stop it…!”

“Why didn't you try and save him!?"

“I said _stop…!_ ”

“You could have done something, _anything!_ But you just stood by and just, just, you _let him die-!_ ”

"YOU THINK I DIDN'T TRY!?" Pitch screamed.

Tooth suddenly flinched back, her eyes going wide as she looked at Pitch in shock.

The Nightmare King's eyes were practically glowing, the fiery golden orbs sparking with rage and defiance as he stared down at her like a cobra looking down at a poor, defenseless mouse from where he had risen to stand a good three feet above her – and she was flying!

His back was ram-rod straight, his shoulders tense and his hands clenched into vice-like fists as his knuckles turning a milky white, draining of their gray coloring. 

"You think that I didn't try?!" He repeated, his voice seething and his fangs flashing as he sneered down at the fairy queen.

Pitch and Tooth stood staring at one another, one stunned into absolute silence, and the other staring with wide, crazed eyes and a shakily heaving chest.

Pitch panted and swallowed dryly, spreading his arms wide as he snarled at Tooth.

"You think I didn't try!? What could I do!? NO ONE could see me! Only he could, and I couldn't do anything because I had NO POWER!" he snapped, he virtually shrieked and screamed at the fairy woman. 

His narrow chest heaved as he gripped it, as if he were in pain, with one hand. His nails sank into paper thin skin, black blood welting to the surface as he seemed to unconsciously mutilate himself.

"I TRIED. I tried so hard, but I could do nothing without risking him further. He would have lived the rest of his life as nothing but a street rat, hunted for being different," he rasped, eyes growing distant, as if in a far off memory. Tooth would swear she could see burning torches and dark figures in his eyes, "He...it happened so fast. They just...took him. I only turned my back for a minute, and then he was just gone. I...no one could see me, I couldn't scare them away. I couldn't break his binds or get him away…!"

Pitch suddenly sank, body lax as he unraveled and fell onto his tail, staring dazedly at his hands. He was visibly shaking, his hands coming up to wrap around himself and clutch at thin biceps.

"I couldn't do anything...all I could do was just sit beside him and...I couldn't stop; I couldn't stop saying 'I'm sorry'..." he said softly, voice raw and cracked, "And do you know what he said to me?"

Tooth didn't respond, she couldn’t respond. There were no words to describe what she was seeing, what she was hearing as she stared up at the Nightmare King who now looked like he was watching the child's death right in front of him as he spoke.

Pitch gasped, his whole body collapsing onto his 'knees' before the fairy queen. Tooth was shocked to see how his eyes seemed to glint in the light, and a single, clear tear fell down his face - not a black tear, but a clear, true, and emotional tear. Just like that night he was having that dream...

He looked up at the ceiling with watery, wide eyes, his mind still on that distant, horrid memory.

"He said, 'I forgive you'..." he rasped, his voice broken, "He...he smiled at me, and he forgave me. He wasn't afraid, but he could still SEE me...and then...and then he died..."

At this point Tooth wasn't even in the air anymore. Her wings had stopped fluttering not even half way through Pitch's...speech? Confession? She didn't have even the slightest idea what this was. The only thing she knew was that Pitch looked like he was about to break down right in front of her...

Like he was about to shatter.

And he wasn't the only one. Tooth felt heat long having begun to build in the back of her eyes, but she didn't even notice as tears slowly began to fall from her widened eyes as Pitch's words all but stabbed her in the chest.

She watched as Pitch continued to gasp and pant, one hand clutching his chest. His wide eyes were trembling in their sockets, as if he was unable to focus on a single spot on the floor. Concern welled up over her own resolve as Pitch's face blanched, and his breathing became more erratic and ragged.

"Pitch...?" she choked around her own tears.

But the Boogeyman only planted his free hand on the floor as his back lurched, his breath now labored and his whole body bleaching until it was nearly white. It was with horrid realization that Tooth finally what was happening to Pitch, his very body tearing itself to shreds; he was having a panic attack.

"I tried...!" He choked, "I tried, I'm sorry, I tried, I TRIED...!"

"Pitch...!" Tooth rasped, "Please, calm down...!"

Her words fell on deaf ears as the he began to hyperventilate. Air came in and out of his lungs in quick, ragged breaths as his hand clenched tightly against his chest in pain, as if his heart was trying to tear its way out from beneath his skin. The same string of words kept falling from his mouth, as if he were repeating some kind of possessed mantra.

Tooth felt herself begin to panic at the state Pitch was suddenly in as her mind did back flips in order to try and processes just what she was seeing, before she saw something that nearly made her heart stop.

An inky black liquid was beginning to trail down the Nightmare King's cheek.

Her eyes widened even more somehow at the sight of the thick, black substance that almost reminded her of blood. She had absolutely no idea what to make of it, she didn't have a clue as to what it was and she wasn't sure if she WANTED to know!

She stared at the black liquid, confusion and slight fear etched into her expression before she looked up just slightly to and saw just where it was coming from. This time she swore her heart really did stop.

Pitch's eyes were no longer full of any kind of rage or anger, nothing of his usual devious glint or malevolent sarcasm that always seemed to be present in those gold and silver orbs. That isn’t what she saw. In place of all those typical Nightmare King facade expressions, she saw something she never thought she would see from Pitch, not like this.

She saw fear.

Panic, pain, regret, desperation, and fear were the only things she could see in his eyes as she looked up at him, and for a moment, she thought she must have been dreaming. Because this... this wasn't the Pitch she knew.

Back at the lake, back at Easter after they had finally managed to stop Pitch's plans thanks to Jack, he had tried to retreat from them before being dragged away by his own Nightmare creations. She had seen fear then. She had seen fear and panic and even pure sadness and defeat in his eyes.

Sadness for loosing, panic because he knew he had no other choice left but to run, and fear of never being seen, of being alone and invisible and stuck in the shadows under beds for the rest of eternity. But that wasn't what she saw now... this wasn't just fear.

This was terror.

Pure, unadulterated terror. That was what she was seeing. His eyes were practically drowning in it along with the desperation she had only ever seen before in the eyes of a wounded and trapped animal that had been backed in a corner with nowhere to run.

And it was that moment that something in Toothiana's mind suddenly clicked. That was exactly what Pitch was.

He was an animal; a trapped, wounded animal with nowhere left to go or run. An animal that would growl and hiss and strike, baring its fangs and trying to intimidate anyone or anything that dared to approach it. An animal who would fight with every ounce of strength it had because it had absolutely nothing left to lose – except its very life.

And it was then Tooth realized just who had backed him into that corner in the first place.

_‘Oh my god...’_ Tooth's eyes went wide and her hands slowly rose to her mouth as she choked out a sob, the realization of the situation, of reality finally dawning on her.

This is our fault...

They had been the ones to drive him back into that corner. They had been the ones who had wounded him. They were the ones who had reduced him to this – this is all our fault...

In the back of her mind Tooth tried to argue with herself, saying that HE was the one who attacked THEM. But she knew it wasn't nearly as simple as that. Yes, he had attacked them, many times over the years he had tried to attack and destroy them. But it was only because he was trying to fight back; to survive.

He felt threatened, he felt trapped and so he had tried to defend himself, to try and fight his way out of the corner, out of the shadows he had been forced into all alone. He must have felt like he didn't have another choice; he DIDN'T have another choice!

He had attacked them yes, but only because he had been trying to defend himself, to keep on living. He wanted to be more than a survivor; he wanted to live and be seen, not just survive and never be heard. He wanted what they wanted; and they denied him that precious gift.

He had been so powerful in the Dark Ages, so strong and so much more than he was now. People believed in him, he had a place, a purpose – though they may have not at all agreed with it. But then they had just come out of nowhere and…and he was tossed aside like he was less than dirt. Powerless and invisible and alone, they had thrown him into the ravenous shadows. And they did it all over again when they let him be dragged away by his Nightmares…

Back then, they may not have felt like they had any choice in the matter, but looking back on it now…they should have done something.

Manny had offered Pitch a position as a Guardian multiple times over the centuries, and he had always declined. They had always wondered why he had said no, but inside they were all glad he had said no to Manny. And it was no wonder.

Why would he want to work with people who didn't want him around? Who thought he had absolutely nothing positive to offer the children of the world? Why would he want to be near the same people who had been the ones to send him away, invisible and without a single word, into the darkness as he lost everything? He had absolutely no reason to want to work with them. But he did have every reason to fight them.

For a moment, Tooth thought back to what he has said to her and the others back at her palace at Easter, about how he wanted to bring back the Dark Ages again, how he wanted power again. And she had to wonder if he was telling the whole truth.

Pitch was smart, and he was by no means the kind of person who would just jump headlong into something without thinking it through in every possible way and considering every possible outcome. Surly he knew just what would happen to the world if the Dark Ages were to come about again. He should know better than anyone else just what kind of devastation that would cause. Did he truly mean it when he said he wanted to rule a second Dark Ages?

The more Tooth asked herself this question, the stronger her answer seemed to become.

No. 

He didn't want another Dark Age…he just wanted to be seen again.

As this revelation truly began to settle with her, a single thought began to repeat itself in Tooth's mind. We should have done something.

And they SHOULD have done something. They should have done something all those years ago, they should have tried to make peace, to try and fix all this and make things right before they had just gone off and banished Pitch to the darkness, whether he wanted their help or not! They should have done something then, and they should have done something at the lake! They should have stepped in and helped him when he was attacked by the Nightmares instead of just standing there and watching him be carried off to what may very well could have been his death, despite what he had done to them. 

But they didn’t.

He had been reduced to something less then what he truly was when they had helped bring an end to the Dark Ages. That was when he had become this animal. That was when he had began trying to fight, to defend himself. It was because of them. It was because of them, that he was now this sad, frightened, defensive, wounded...

Crying.

He was crying.

That sudden realization all but stabbed Tooth in the chest as her eyes widened and she took another look at the thick, black liquid trickling down the Nightmare King's face. She should have seen it before. She should have realized what the hell was happening right in front of her, and she internally called herself a complete and total idiot for not noticing just what was happening.

Some kind of unholy cross between a choked sob and a gasp suddenly escaped Toothiana's lips as her other hand flew to her mouth when this revelation suddenly hit her like a ton of bricks, her own eyes now streaming with tears as she felt her wings shudder and her heart clench inside her chest painfully until it felt like she was being crushed by a boa constrictor.

He was crying. Pitch Black, the feared King of Nightmares and all things dark, was actually crying openly in front of her.

Her mind flashed back to when she had found him asleep down in the ravine, when he had been crying, begging and repeating apologies over and over in his sleep during what must have been some horrid, God-awful nightmare – a nightmare, she realized, about the boy’s death. That had been too much for her to even begin to handle and she had practically run out of there bawling But this…this was something else altogether entirely.

Toothiana didn't know how it happened, or how fast. The way her brain was working at the moment she may have been moving faster than lightning or slower than a bloody turtle for all she knew.

But the second she was able to realize what was happening, when she was able to fully SEE what was going right before her very eyes, something in her mind just suddenly seemed to flip on.

Before she would even realize what she was doing, Toothiana suddenly shot forward, her arms shooting out as she all but tackled the Boogeyman to the ground. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as a single sentence suddenly exploded from her mouth in a near scream that echoed through the air and made both hers and Pitch's ears ring.

"IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT!"

In that single moment, time itself seemed to freeze for Pitch.

The Boogeyman's eyes had flashed open the second he had registered the Tooth Fairy's arms wrapping themselves around his neck, and he felt his breath die in his throat with a choked gasp.

It was like he was literally frozen, paralyzed despite his desperation to break free and breathe. But he couldn't; he was trapped, he couldn't move!

Noticing his breath becoming trapped in his own lungs, Tooth loosened her hold on the Boogeyman, her hands starting to rub his back in what she hoped was a soothing gesture. Her hands were shaking though, and she fought with every fiber of her being to steady herself in the face of this terrified and wounded creature. 

"Pitch, I am so, SO sorry..." Tooth's voice was small, barely audible and hitching heavily as she did her best to choke back her sobs. Her wings and feathers shuddered as her hands trembled and her eyes clenched tightly shut to try and hold back the burning tears that were slowly trickling down her flushed cheeks.

Pitch, on the other hand, had the most comical expression of pure, stunned shock written across his pale, tear streaked face.

He was petrified, his entire body shaking, yet unable to move. His eyes were wide and his face was tear-streaked. His breath was caught in his throat, as if his hyperventilating had suddenly hit a block in his throat.

Tooth sobbed, her embrace tightening around the Boogeyman as she buried her face into his neck.

"Pitch...I am so, so sorry!" she sobbed shakily, "It wasn't your fault. You did nothing wrong! If anything, the Guardians and I are at fault. We should...we should have done something! For you, for the boy..."

She suddenly sobbed brokenly and buried her face into his neck, her arms tightening around Pitch's chest.

"Oh god Pitch, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry we left you like that! I'm so sorry we hurt you! I'm just so, so sorry!" she cried.

Up until this point Pitch's brain had been in a more or less catatonic state. The absolute shock and insanity of the situation had turned his mind into a vegetable with only a few semi-coherent thoughts managing to register with him.

_‘TRAPPED, RUN, TRAPPED, GET AWAY, PHYSICAL CONTACT, UNNECESSARY AND PHYSICAL CONTACT! 'SORRY! I'M SORRY! SORRY, WHY IS SHE SORRY?! CRYING, CRYING FAIRY, WHY IS SHE CRYING WHY IS SHE TOUCHING ME NO NO NO CAN’T BREATHE NO!'_

However the very second she had mentioned him, that boy, some kind of switch somewhere in his brain suddenly managed to switch on, and he suddenly rediscovered the ability to BREATHE again. His head slowly shifted downward to stare at the fairy queen bawling her eyes out in the crook of his shoulder and soaking him in her tears in absolute shock.

And in the blink of an eye, it was as if the final pillar holding his mind together finally broke.

A ringing invaded his hearing, pure white noise flooding his ears in a wave of dizzying sound. His heart jumped into his throat, and his breathing was suddenly too slow.

His vision blurred, and he felt his bones turn to rubber.

Tooth sobbed, but paused and looked up when she felt Pitch's once tense body suddenly completely unwind. 

"Pitch...?" she croaked.

She suddenly gasped, as Pitch suddenly lurched, his arms limp at his sides as he tilted over her.

"Wha-? Pitch? Pitch!? AH!" Tooth yelped as the Boogeyman's heavier body suddenly gave in on her, and she no sooner found herself pinned to the floor under the Boogeyman.

"Ugh...! Pitch...!?" she rasped.

His read resting in the crook of her shoulder, she maneuvered an arm and pushed his head up to look at his face. His eyes were closed, mouth parted ever so slightly, and he was breathing evenly yet shakily.

He had fainted.

And unknown to her, the scale she had brought with her suddenly formed a large crack down its center…

To be continued…


	16. Chapter 16

It was as if the entire palace knew something had gone wrong.

Mini-fairies were going about their work more silently than what should be possible. The usual buzz of energy and vibrating wings was suddenly no longer present in the gold and bejeweled spires. Whispers had suddenly replaced buzzing wings and twittering chirps. Whispers about what happened, what they all had heard from their sister, who heard from that sister, who heard from the other sister. 

Whispers, about how Pitch had completely broken down in a fit of emotions. Whispers about how Tooth had lashed out at him. Whispers about his current condition.

The palace may usually be loud and chaotic, but the fairies weren’t deaf. Pitch’s screaming at Tooth didn’t happen in a soundproof room, and the Mini-fairies were nothing if not curious and a bit nosy. 

One such fairy, donned in large glasses, and boasting messy head feathers, scowled at anyone who looked her way. Vidya held a neatly folded hand rag in her arms, her wings buzzing in overdrive as she worked her usually motionless wings harder than ever before. Her solitary life in the library never gave her too much flying exorcise, and now that she was up and about, she was starting to realize just how much she had missed.

Vidya passed by the main spire, where Baby-Tooth was covering for their queen. Said queen was otherwise preoccupied with another priority, and Vidya hoped that today would be better…

It’s already been over a week days. And he _still_ hasn’t woken up…

She sighed, her crest falling against her head. A whole week. A whole week since the confrontation gone wrong. A week since his outburst. A week since he collapsed. And a whole week since Tooth left his side. 

Baby-Tooth, from up on the main spire, gave her bespectacled sister a questioning glance. Vidya could only shake her head. Baby-Tooth only sighed before going back to her work. It made Vidya smile wryly. She would never admit it, but she could tell Baby-Tooth was not just worried about their queen; she was worried about Pitch too. 

She flitted off for the library once more, zig-zagging past shelves and other fairies, until she came to a familiar study. She knocked tentatively, knowing it was locked. 

_“Mom?”_ she called.

“Vidya?” was the slightly hushed reply.

Vidya chirped an affirmative, and no sooner flew back slightly as the door’s lock was released, and the door opened just the slightest bit. The Mini-fairy flew through the small crack, the door clicking shut behind her with a quiet click.

She looked up at her queen, concern prominent. 

Tooth looked like she hadn’t slept in days. Dark smudges were prominent under her eyes. Coupled with the natural purple tint of her upper eye lids, it looked like she had two black eyes. Many of her feathers were ruffled and sticking out in various directions, their iridescent shine lost. They were dull, like fake gems one would purchase from some cheap jewelry store. 

Vidya resisted the urge to cringe. She could only imagine how bad Tooth was feeling right now; she looked almost ill. 

_“I guess it’s too much to ask if anything’s changed…?”_ she asked. Tooth sighed.

“No. Nothing…” she said, her voice scratchy and weary. 

Vidya nodded, and fluttered over to the table where various other things were piled up onto it. Some herbal remedies lay forgotten in bowls and jars, while some used rags and a couple large bowls sat stacked together. 

And down on the floor, surrounded by pillows and blankets, lying limp in loose coils, was Pitch. 

The Mini-fairy gave a low chirp, her heart sinking. No changes indeed…

“Here…” Tooth took the rag Vidya held and brought it over to the bowl of cool water by Pitch’s bedside. 

She soaked it briefly, wringing it out, before she folded it up and replaced the older rag on the Boogeyman’s forehead. She pressed the back of her fingers against a flushed cheek.

“He’s still running a little warm…” she said softly.

The fever had been progressing for nearly the whole week, starting seemingly seconds after he collapsed. Tooth had been frantic, trying to wake the Boogeyman. But when that didn’t seem to be working, she started pounding on the door and calling out for Vidya and Baby-Tooth. Of course, despite what the Mini-fairies had said, they didn’t leave when they locked the door, and quickly re-opened the door to find the disaster at hand laid before them. 

It was so surreal how those few days had gone by, like they were in a dream. 

Vidya made a low chirping noise, hovering over Pitch’s sweaty chest. He had broken out into cold sweats frequently during his comatose like state. His breast shuddered with raged breath, his adams apple bobbing constantly in his dry throat. His neck and cheeks were flushed a slight purple, an attribute to his fever. But what had caused it, Tooth could not fully know. Vidya highly suspected it was the result of Pitch’s meltdown, his body literally giving up on itself for the briefest moment, and then resulting in his current state. 

_“It’s like a war in his body and mind,”_ Vidya had said, _“He’s not used to expressing emotions, let alone emotions of such high caliber. It’s like trying to tell a leopard to change its spots – and he somehow accomplished this to a degree.”_

Tooth was more than grateful for Vidya’s patience and overall knowledge of these things. She didn’t even know she had psychology books in her library, but apparently she did, and Vidya had read them all at least twice. 

“But how long will it last?” Tooth had asked. 

Vidya could only shake her head.

_“I don’t know,”_ she said sadly, _“That is entirely up to him.”_

So they waited. And waited. And waited. And waited…

And in the blink of an eye, three days had gone by. Nothing had changed, except perhaps their levels of worry for the Boogeyman. Baby-Tooth had volunteered to take over tooth-duty, much to Tooth’s relief, while she and Vidya took care of Pitch. 

Many fairies stopped by to catch a glimpse of the ill Boogeyman, but were always chased off by either Vidya or Tooth. Their priorities were on Pitch, not entertaining curious fairies. But even still, it seemed their efforts in keeping Pitch’ comfortable were becoming obsolete. 

By day four, his fever progressed.

By day five, it increased, and he gained a raspy cough that wracked his chest at random moments. 

By day six, his breathing was becoming labored and congested.

A full week into his state, a quick listen to his chest by a medical fairy confirmed he had pneumonia. 

Vidya and Tooth were becoming desperate. Tooth was even considering going to North for help. But Vidya reasoned it would do her no good. Pitch’s body would not react to medicines of any kind until he was awake. He had to fight off the sickness himself. There was nothing they could do but wait…

On day eight, Tooth cried herself to sleep beside Pitch’s feverish body. 

Vidya pretended to not listen as her queen was unable to stop saying ‘I’m sorry’ to Pitch.

And by day nine, a sigh of relief.

Pitch’s fever seemed to break over night, and his body was slowly starting to calm and fight off the sickness. Slowly, over the span of one day, his breathing evened out. The flush that overtook his body was steadily receding, returning the Boogeyman’s skin to its natural overcast-grey coloring. A check up from the medical fairy confirmed that his lungs were clearing up, and his cough was now reduced to the occasional rasp or tired sigh. 

And by the time dusk fell on them, two things happened. 

Once again at his side, Tooth took to keeping the Boogeyman as comfortable as possible, altering between piling blankets on him when he seemed cold, or wiping down his torso with a damp rag when he seemed hot. 

Though her concern for his previous condition had lessened to nearly nonexistence, she still worried as she looked over his body.

_‘He’s lost so much weight…’_ she thought sadly, her fingers gently pressing over the ridges of overly prominent ribs. 

Tooth made a mental note to get him to eat as soon as he was conscious. Or at the very least get some fluids into him. By now, he likely wouldn’t be able to keep anything too heavy down. Maybe a light soup or broth would be good for him…

“Hm…hey Vidya, what do you think-?” she paused as a shudder distracted her.

Blinking, she and Vidya looked around. Another slight shudder wracked the rom, like someone had dropped something heavy on the floor. But no sound of anything falling was heard, and it wasn’t like anything in her palace could cause such a noise.

Tooth frowned, looking over at Vidya, “Did you feel something just now-?”

_Boom!_

“AH!” Tooth yelped, tipping forward and over Pitch’s prone form as her entire palace seemed to wrack with relentless shudders. 

Vidya squealed and flew under one of the pillows around Pitch, just barely dodging a falling book in time. Books, décor, and other such things shuddered and tumbled off their perches, the glass windows cracking as the vibrations disturbed their positions.

“Wh-whoa! Sh-shaking…!” Tooth chattered in slight panic.

She was about to get up and see if her fairies were well away from anything that could fall and hurt them. But just as she pried herself off of Pitch, the earthquake stopped. 

Tooth, wide eyed, swerved her head around the room, her feathers puffed up and bristling from the shock of the whole thing. Her crest flared as she slowly, cautiously, sat up on her knees, her torso bent slightly in a protective arch over Pitch. Vidya soon peeked out from under her pillow, her feathers in an equally frazzled state, and her eyes just as wide. 

“What…” Tooth started in a low whisper, “Just happened…?”

_“Um…I believe the Eurasian plate made contact with a neighboring tectonic plate, in which results have caused a brief if slightly violent-”_

“Less intellectual words, Vidya…”

_“Um…we had an earthquake.”_ Vidya shrugged, crawling out from under her pillow and adjusting her glasses.

Tooth sighed, feathers settling and wings sagging. Great, what else could go wrong?

“Mm…”

Tooth gasped, looking down at the Boogeyman. Her eyes widened as he shifted, his coils moving sluggishly, and the muscles of his torso clenching and unclenching. His head moved from side to side, his eyelids fluttering, as if fighting to open against some unseen force keeping them closed. Tooth held her breath, Vidya fluttering beside her anxiously. 

A weak sigh passed dark chapped lips. And finally, his eyes opened. 

“Pitch…?” Tooth breathed, one dainty hand coming to touch prominent collar bones. 

Pitch groaned, his eyes not entirely focused. It was like he was not entirely awake; his body was still partly shut down, and his brain wasn’t even half functioning.

“Pitch?” Tooth tried again, “Can you hear me? How do you feel?”

The Boogeyman could only give a low moan, turning his head away from the lamp that seemed overwhelmingly bright. 

“Vidya, the light…” the Mini-fairy didn’t need any further prompting, and quickly dimmed the lights in the room.

Tooth looked back at Pitch, gently touching his messy hair, “Pitch…?”

A tired, deep breath inflated his chest, and his eyes fell closed again. 

“Toof…?” he mumbled.

Tooth laughed breathlessly, resisting the urge to just hug the Boogeyman, “Yes! Yes, I’m here. Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

A moment passed before Pitch was able to form any words.

“Wa’er…” he mumbled.

“Water? You want water? Okay, hang on!” Flitting over to the shockingly still upright pitcher of water up on the table, the fairy queen brought it and a shallow bowl over to Pitch.

She quickly filled the bowl with the cool liquid, slipping a hand under Pitch’s neck to lean him up slightly. She pressed the edge of the bowl to his lips, tipping it slightly.

“Here, take it easy.” She said softly.

Pitch could only give a low moan. But the moment a single drop of the life giving liquid touched his tongue, he suddenly found strength again. Tooth yelped as one of Pitch’s arms suddenly shot up and tipped the bowl over so its contents tumbled into his mouth. He no sooner pushed himself up slightly and grabbed the decanter, pressing its edge to his mouth and nearly overturning it.

“P-Pitch! Slow down, you’re going to choke!” Tooth warned, grabbing the decanter back.

It was already missing nearly all of the water it had in it, though the majority of the water Pitch had tried to chug down had spilled past his mouth and soaked a part of his nest and body. 

Gasping for breath, Pitch flopped back down onto his back, his chest heaving as he tried to regain the air lost when he tried to swallow what, to him, had felt like a lake. 

Tooth bit her lip, setting the decanter aside as she regarded the Boogeyman. His eyes were still closed, his body still. Was he asleep again? Was that all she was going to get out of him for the time being?

She watched his jugular bob in his throat, his breath calming. A groan escaped his lips, and he seemed to be trying to force himself into wakefulness. His eyes pried themselves open just the scantest bit, Tooth watching as he came out of one of the deepest sleeps she had ever seen.

“What…?” his voice was still a bit raspy, but it did not sound as shot as it did before.

“Shh, calm down Pitch, you’re okay,” Tooth soothed, using a dry portion of a blanket to wipe some of the water from his chest, “You’ve been asleep…”

Tooth refrained from saying for how long, and decided to leave out how sick he had been before as well. She did not know what state his mind was in right now, or if he was too mentally drained to conjure up a hissy-fit from his previous state.

A shaky hand came up to rub at sleep-glazed eyes. Voice slightly slurred, Pitch spoke once more.

“What happened…?” he rasped.

It was odd, that while Pitch had been asleep for a little over a week, Tooth hadn’t even come up with some kind of explanation as to how he came to be in such a state. She had been too worried about whether or not he would wake up at all, or if he would survive his illness. But now that he was awake – or as much as he could be right now – and coherent, she had to repeat the incident to him.

She sighed.

The talking, the questions, and then the arguing – she did not see it coming at all. Even now she was shocked at herself for her words and actions. She had actively struck Pitch out of nowhere, and out of nothing but pure anger. She had never, ever, struck someone in such a fit before – actually, this would be the second time she lashed out, and on the same person too. It dropped a painful burden into her stomach, and it made the fairy queen wonder just what it was about Pitch that could make her so violent. 

Hands fiddling with the hem of a blanket, she looked meekly up at Pitch from under her lashes. 

“You don’t remember…?” she tried.

Though groggy, the Boogeyman somehow took on a contemplative look. 

Tooth waited patiently as slow minutes passed them by. Pitch’s breathing was steadily evening out, and slowly, little by little, his eyes were clearing up and widening into more focused half-lids. The gold and silver of his irises was still slightly dim, their once haunting luster now lost. It was as if a layer of fog had cast over them, like he was looking up at an overcast sky. But there were no clouds, and he was not looking at the sky. And it was very much worrying to Tooth.

Pitch blinked slowly suddenly, awareness and realization flashing in his eyes.

“Oh…” he said.

Though he didn’t say what he was thinking, Tooth didn’t need to hear him. She nodded.

“Yeah…” she said.

Silence descended on them, neither willing to meet the other’s gaze. Tooth for obvious reasons, and Pitch for reasons he himself could not fully understand. He felt shy suddenly, exhausted emotionally and physically. He had never felt so…weak in all his life. 

Shuddering, he wrapped his arms around himself, suddenly feeling vulnerable. She wasn’t looking at him, but it still felt like eyes were on him, judging him. It dropped a painful ache in his belly, and nausea rose up into his throat. 

Tooth suddenly broke the silence, startling Pitch.

“I…” she cleared her throat, wringing her hands, “How…how do you feel?”

“Gutted…” Pitch said.

Tooth winced, biting her lip. Well, that certainly wasn’t surprising…

“I see…” she said softly, “Um…a-are you hungry?”

Pitch seemed to think for a moment. His stomach was empty and tied up in knots. As much as he wanted to eat, he did not have any confidence whatsoever in keeping anything down. He shook his head.

“Okay…” Tooth said, “Um…what about anything else? Do you need anything?”

“…sleep.” Was the short reply.

“Okay…okay, yeah, I’ll um, I’ll let you be so you can rest…” Tooth said with a forced smile.

Beside her, Vidya was giving her an outraged and disbelieving look which the fairy queen ignored. Tooth collected the used rags and basin, along with the wet pillows and blankets, and kicked her wings into gear.

“I’ll…i-if you need anything, just talk to Vidya.” She said.

She turned and was about to leave, but was stopped by a low, soft voice.

“Toothiana…” Pitch called softly.

Tooth froze, turning to face the Boogeyman with wide eyes. 

“Yes?” she breathed, heart stuttering in her chest.

Silence.

Pitch said nothing at first. He wouldn’t even meet Tooth’s eyes. He only looked down at his lap, shoulders hunched and eyes listless. She had never seen anyone look so…lost before, so tired. It was with a sudden jolt of clarity that Tooth was beginning to realize how old Pitch was, and it showed in how he now held himself. The ancient spirit was hollow now, his emotions cleaved right out of him like mined diamonds. It dropped a burden of guilt into Tooth’s stomach. And as much as she wanted to put things to rest, a larger part of her just did not want to have such a confrontation again…

“…Pitch?” she tried nervously.

Pitch blinked, before sighing and slumping down into his bed.

“Never mind…” he muttered.

Tooth felt her heart sink, but at the same time, she was relieved. 

“Okay…” and with that, she flew out the door with Vidya, and quietly shut it behind her.

Tooth sighed, landing and leaning back against the door, suddenly exhausted. She rubbed her eyes with her free hand, before looking up at Vidya, She blinked at the deadpan expression the fairy was giving her.

“What?” she asked.

_“That…”_ Vidya started, _“Was pathetic…”_

“Ugh, Vidya, I…” Tooth sighed, defeated, “I know…”

_“Why didn’t you talk to him?”_ Vidya asked, _“You could have said so many more things!”_

“Like what!?” Tooth snapped, tossing the dirtied items to the floor, “What could I possibly say to the man I virtually _gutted_ emotionally!? What can I say to him, when I once again jumped the gun and nearly put his life in danger _again!?_ You tell me Vidya, you tell me what I could have said that could have made any of this remotely better!”

Vidya did not even react to Tooth’s outburst. Instead, she only sighed and crossed her arms, giving Tooth a patient look.

_“You could have said ‘I’m sorry’…”_ she said softly.

It was like someone had punched the air right out of her lungs. Tooth felt the fight leave her body in a rush of air through her mouth, her jaw clenching. She felt a familiar heat build up behind her eyes, and she bit her lip to force herself to not let the tears pass her eyes. Gasping through a sob, she slid down the door and pulled her knees up to her chest.

“Oh Vidya…what do I do? What do I _do?_ ” she rasped.

Vidya chirped sadly, flitting down to land on her queen’s knee.

_“What do you think you should do?”_ she asked.

“I don’t know! That’s just it; I really don’t know,” Tooth sniffled and wiped her eyes, “I just…I don’t even know! Every time I’m around him, my head just goes blank. I make a complete idiot of myself, and I can’t even control my mouth around him!”

Vidya nodded, listening patiently as Tooth continued.

“I just…it’s like I’m afraid of him, but also not. He makes me so mad sometimes, but…but I know he’s a good person. I know he’s not this evil thing like…like I thought he was,” she said, “I just…I don’t know anymore. It’s like my heart and my head get into a fight whenever I’m around him…”

The Mini-fairy nodded slowly, crossing her arms. 

_“Do you feel anything else? Physically?”_ she asked.

Tooth shrugged, “I guess, sometimes…”

_“Like…?”_

“Like…like my heart begins to race whenever he looks at me…” Tooth said uncertainly, placing a hand to her breast, “His…his eyes are so intense, it’s like he can look into your very soul. It…it frightens me, but….but I also feel…”

_“Excited?”_

“Y-yeah…I guess,” Tooth said, “And I feel so strange, like my feathers are tickling me. I get a chill up the back of my neck, and…and I sometimes feel warm…?”

Tooth suddenly frowned, looked up at Vidya. Realization dawned on her as Vidya quirked a brow at her.

“No…V-Vidya, you can’t think that I…”

_“Like him?”_ Vidya guessed, _“I’m no expert, but I’ve read enough romance novels to know what you just described is very close to what the characters feel when they’re…well, falling in lo-”_

“NO! Don’t say that!” Tooth snapped, “Those are…Vidya, those are just stories! Nothing else, pure fiction.”

_“Technically so are you, me, and the Guardians and Pitch. And yet, here we are,”_ Vidya said patiently, before she cocked her head, _“Why are you so against the idea of liking Pitch? He’s not so awful that you wouldn’t even think about it, is he?”_

“No, it’s just that…!”

Just that _what_? What was it about the idea of her liking Pitch that had her on the defensive? It wasn’t like he was unattractive; it was quite the opposite. Pitch was an intimidating man, but he was also an alluring creature. He was pure seduction and wit, the not-so-typical bad-boy type that any girl would fight for. But at the same time, there was a softer side to him. He may not be willing to show it, nor did one see it often, but whenever he thought she wasn’t looking, she would catch a change in his demeanor. The sharp edges around his face softened and relaxed, his eyes became less sharp and seemed to gaze around him in fascination. He was an observer, a man of intelligence and deep, dark thoughts. 

Pitch was dominance. Pitch was intense eyes and large hands. Pitch was quiet nature with a fiery resolve. Pitch was simply _Pitch._

_‘So what’s the problem?’_ she asked herself. 

And she didn’t even have an answer. All she knew was that she was very much confused, conflicted, and quite possibly falling without even being in the sky…

Vidya sighed, catching Tooth’s attention.

_“Come on, I want to show you something.”_ She said, flitting off into the library without another word. 

Confused, Tooth followed her Mini-fairy. Weaving through bookshelves and around other fairies, they came to the nest Pitch once occupied before his collapse. Vidya dove under a pillow, the soft cushion moving slightly as she dug around. Tooth landed beside the nest, frowning as Vidya seemed to search for something. The Mini-fairy soon poked her head out the other side of the pillow, wiggling out and pulling on what looked to be a red ribbon of some sort. A slight tug revealed that the ribbon was attached to a leather-bound book; a journal. 

Vidya brought the journal over to Tooth, dropping it onto her lap. Confused, Tooth picked it up while Vidya landed on a stack of books beside her queen.

_“Look inside it.”_ ” She said. 

“But…Vidya, I can’t. This is his journal, I can’t just-”

_“Mom,”_ Vidya cut in, _“Trust me. It’s not the writing I want you to see.”_

Confused, Tooth regarded the journal in her hands. The leather was black, soft in her hands, her fingers running over bumps and creases on its well-used surface. She didn’t even know they had journals in her library. Where did Pitch even get it?

Vidya seemed to sense her thoughts and spoke.

_“He asked me to find him one,”_ she said, _“I got it from a bookstore about two weeks ago.”_

Tooth regarded Vidya with a quirked brow. Vidya smiled meekly.

_“I uh, may have pilfered a few of the tooth coins to get it. Heh…”_ She offered meekly.

Tooth rolled her eyes, smiling slightly. This wouldn’t be the first time one of her fairies used any spare coins to buy something for themselves or others. She was even guilty of dipping into their money vault for a few items. She would rather her fairies took money from their vault than steal things from humans after all; they were not thieves. 

Sighing, Tooth untied the leather cord keeping the journal shut. She hesitated in opening it however, and simply stared at it. 

Vidya nodded to her queen, _“Go on.”_

Jaw tightening, Tooth tossed caution to the wind and opened the journal. Each page was marked with a number just along the lower border. And the page she had landed on was 32. 

But no words were on it. In place of secret thoughts of questioning thoughts, the page, and the page beside it, was filled in with a hand sketched image of a Mini-fairy. 

Tooth blinked, dumbfounded, “What...?”

She turned back a page, and was confronted with yet another picture, this time of a spectacled, messy feathered fairy standing beside a chess piece; Vidya. 

The Mini-fairy beamed beside her queen, and Tooth couldn’t help but stare in awe at the detailed image. It looked just like Vidya, and that it just might fly off the page at any minute. She turned back a page again, and found an equally detailed image of three different flowers. Behind that was a rough sketch of a snake creeping into her palace through a crack – a footnote beside it read, ‘scared off immediately after it saw me. Damn worm.’

Tooth laughed at the little note, turning back a page as she settled down into the nest of pillows. More pictures of her Mini-fairies were shown in the journal, many of them simple head drawings or profiles on them. She even found a log describing various fairies Pitch had met, their unique identifying markings, and their unique personalities. He had even given them names.

Amalia, one of her older fairies, and was identified by the green tip on her crest feather. She was a complete tooth fanatic, and one of the Mini-fairy veterans. She mostly stuck to the regions of Sweden, and was known to bring back the best teeth.

Angeline, a younger fairy, and identified by a single white feather in her tail. She was very young, only a hundred years old, and was so shy and meek. It took much coaxing from Vidya to get her to come over and say hi to him, and even then she only approached him if others were around.

Shelley, another library fairy, and identified by a tiny scar on her left cheek. Not much of a tooth collector, she had a very large knack for horror novels, and both she and Pitch had shared many debates on different horror films and books over the past few weeks. Her favorite novel was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein's Monster.

Emily, a medical fairy, and identified by the little medical bag she was constantly carrying around. Headstrong, she was a tough little cookie that enjoyed digging into medical books of many kinds. She actually met Pitch when he had gotten a paper cut, and she insisted on treating the tiny wound.

Magnolia, a bit of an outcast fairy that was identified by the tiny flow she kept woven like a hair accessory into her crest. She oddly did not find any appeal to teeth, and instead loved to be around flowers and gardens. She explored the jungle regularly, bringing back many new flowers to decorate her nest or show the others. Magnolias were one of her favorite flowers.

And finally, Juliet. She was identified with having a heart-shaped marking on her right cheek, just below her eye. Shockingly, she had gotten to know Pitch when she caught him reading the classic romantic tragedy, Romeo and Juliet. It was her favorite book, and she had introduced Pitch to various other romance novels that he somehow could not seem to put down. 

All of these fairies, and he had drawn each and every one, putting detailed emphasis into their unique traits and markings. It amazed Tooth, not just at his artistic skills, but at the fact that he even took the time to talk to and get to know these fairies that she herself did not even know existed. Pitch knew more about even more of her fairies than she did herself. It saddened, yet enlightened her to just how much she was missing. It made her realize just how many little green and blue treasures she had flying around her at all hours of the day, and she did not even realize it. 

Flipping the page over had her and Vidya laughing. The cartoonish picture of a steaming, angry Baby-Tooth had them giggling as the little sketch of the Mini-fairy seemed to be screaming at an innocent looking black snake –a representation of Pitch perhaps? 

Tooth chuckled, running a fond finger down the snake’s coiled body. She turned the page, but what she saw made her gasp.

The picture took up an entire page, and featured a woman. A woman with iridescent wings, a swept crest, and a beautiful, long, peacock-like tail. She was perched in a window, a Mini-fairy hovering in one of her hands, her smiling so soft and kind. 

Her body was sketched so softly and carefully, each feather seemingly set right into the page like a sticker. The curves of her body were accented with soft shading, her eyes the most detailed of anything on the page. The woman was beautiful, her feathers and wings angelic, the light coming in through the window behind her making her seem ethereal. And it was with a startling realization that Tooth seemed to figure out who this woman was. 

It was a picture of Tooth herself. 

She stared in utter shock at the image, unable to take her eyes off of what Pitch had drawn. He had drawn her…and in such vivid detail and care. He had drawn her…

Vidya suddenly placed a hand on her knee, catching Tooth’s attention. She stared wide-eyed at the Mini-fairy, who smiled slightly up at her queen.

_“He’s been thinking of you too…”_ she said.

And with dawning clarity, Tooth did not notice the tears slipping down her face.

Nor the smile that stretched her lips. 

To be continued…


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Augh, so sorry for the delay. This has been updated twice on my FF.net page, but I forgot to update here. So...yay for late double update? *sweat drop*

There was no avoiding it anymore. Tooth could not keep avoiding Pitch right now – not when he was in his current condition. He had been asleep for over a week after all, he was likely very weak now. If she had slept for a week, she certainly would be feeling quite off, if not starving. 

She looked down at the tray in her hands. The silver tray, much smaller than what she usually used, was piled on with soft breads, mild fruits, and a light soup in a sealed container to stay warm. Tea and water was also present, as well as what looked to be some strange herbs in a tiny bowl.

Nothing too heavy or rich. She wasn’t too sure if he could keep anything too heavy down –he certainly did not feel like eating when he was first brought to her palace. Not that she could blame him. But now she had to wonder if he could eat at all. He had lost so much weight, and his body was so frail now…

Tooth shook her head. No, she couldn’t keep avoiding this. She had to make sure Pitch got better, and things between them got settled. And after that…she hadn’t gotten that far yet.

 _‘Cross that bridge when we get there…’_ she thought. 

Taking a deep breath, Tooth ignored the not-so-subtle stare she was getting from Vidya from behind a ‘how to find true love’ – she’s doing this on purpose – book. She sighed, balancing the tray in one hand as she used the other to knock on the door to the study where Pitch resided.

“Pitch?” she called, “Are you okay? I uh…I brought lunch…”

No answer was heard. Tooth looked over at Vidya, who was now actively ignoring her queen and keeping her pointy nose buried in her book. Tooth growled, but made no comment. She knocked again.

“Pitch?” She called. Still no answer from the Boogeyman, and the fairy queen became concerned.

 _‘Is he still asleep?’_ she wondered. The concept of him being sleep frightened her; the last time he was asleep, he slept for over a week! 

“Pitch! I…I’m coming in!” She called, grabbing the doorknob. 

Turning it, she peeked inside the room. She sighed in relief, seeing the Boogeyman still nestled in his coils in a deep sleep. Quietly she tip-toed inside and shut the door, carefully moving over to the sleeping Boogeyman. She set the tray down on the table before kneeling down at Pitch’s side, just watching him for a moment. 

He looked so different compared to when he was awake. Conscious, Pitch was all harsh lines and dagger-like resolve, his movements abrupt yet graceful; not unlike a cobra reared up and ready to strike. His entire resolve was pure tension and suspicion, wide eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. But here, asleep, and lost in the abyss of slumber, he looked so peaceful. The contours of his face and eyes had visibly softened, and his whole body seemed to finally lose some of the tension it had every minute of every day when awake.

Tooth tentatively reached out, her slender fingers touching his sternum. It was hard for her to say whether or not he looked comfortable or well. His body was virtually wasted, nothing but paper thin skin and brittle bone. He had become far worse than what he ever was when he first arrived at her palace. He had gone from worryingly thin to gaunt, and it was beyond concerning to Tooth. 

Mentally, she made a promise to herself to get Pitch better before summer was over. And even more than that, she made a promise to herself to stop running from him. She could not keep running from him just because some issues come up. And if she wanted this…thing…between them to work out, possibly progress and grow into something _more…_

Tooth swallowed dryly, shaking her head. Cross that bridge when we get there, no need to rush these things.

“Pitch?” she whispered, shaking his shoulder, “Pitch, I brought some food. You need to wake up.”

No response was forthcoming. Tooth frowned, shaking his shoulder a bit harder.

“Pitch? You need to wake up.” She said a bit more loudly.

But still there was no response.

Concern welled within Tooth suddenly, and she turned her gaze to his chest. It was steadily rising and falling with each breath he took; he was, thankfully, still breathing. 

Biting her lip, Tooth tried again, “Pitch? Pitch! Come on, you need to wake up!”

She shook both his shoulders, but nothing was happening. The fairy queen was beginning to panic. Did he fall into a deep sleep again? Was he simply unconscious? Was he, god forbid, comatose now? What was wrong!?

“Pitch? Pitch!? PITCH!” She suddenly grabbed the Boogeyman by his shoulders, shaking him relentlessly.

“Pitch Black, _WAKE UP!_ ”

“AH!”

“EEK-OW!”

Tooth screwed her eyes shut, her hands coming up to clutch her forehead. Pitch fell back into his nest from the lack of support keeping him up, his hands cupped over his nose. Both groaned from the painful impact of Tooth’s forehead meeting Pitch’s nose when the Boogeyman had jerked into startled awareness – quite literally.

“Oh…” Pitch groaned, squinting his eyes open, “Damn it all…! Toothiana, what the hell…!?”

“I thought…you…!” Tooth forced her eyes open and her hands away from her forehead, which was now sporting a lovely red spot, “You wouldn’t wake up!”

“And you figured screaming and shaking me was a good idea?” Pitch groaned. 

“You wouldn’t wake up! I-I thought you were…!” Tooth shook her head, sighing in defeat, “I’m sorry…I just got scared…”

“Yes, well, shame I missed _that_.” Pitch sighed, pulling his hands back and checking for any blood; thankfully there was none. 

Tooth sighed, exasperated. Well, at least his personality was still intact. She wasn’t sure whether she should be happy about the fact or not. But either way, she was just glad he woke up at all.

Pitch sighed, rubbing the sleep form his eyes as he sat up sluggishly. He looked like he hadn’t gotten any sleep at all, let alone that he had slept for over a week. His eyes were hazy and distant, an unsurprisingly sight for someone who had just woken up. But for someone like Pitch to appear so listless, it concerned Tooth. 

“I…I’m sorry,” she suddenly said, catching Pitch’s attention, “I-I shouldn’t have done that. Heh, I should have at least expected you to react like that when I did.”

The weak humor seemed to work something in Pitch’s brain, as after a couple blinks, he seemed to find the whole thing just a tad bit humorous. He snorted lowly, scrubbing a hand over his face. 

“Yes, well, dare I ask what had prompted such a reaction from you?” he asked, his hand sliding up into his hair. He paused and frowned, tugging down a lock into his face.

Tooth blinked before she giggled slightly at the rather lovely bedhead Pitch was sporting. But not only was his hair a mess, but it was longer now too. He actually had bangs now!

“Heh, that’s a cute look, Pitch.” She said. Pitch scowled at her.

“Ha ha ha, yes, I know I look like I was run over by a leaf blower…” he groused.

“No! I mean it – well, not the leaf blower look thing…” Tooth snorted at the mental image, “But…I mean now. You look nice with slightly longer hair. Younger.”

The deadpan look he suddenly gave her was disconcerting. 

“You saying I looked like an old man before?” he asked dryly.

Tooth felt her feathers bristle in a slight panic – why was she panicking to begin with?

“No, no, no! I mean, um, well…!” she smoothed back her crest in a nervous habit, “I-I just meant, well, I mean…uh…”

Pitch blinked owlishly, as if confused by Tooth’s reaction. Her cheeks had long since turned a deep red color, and the Boogeyman was very much unsure as to how to react. Normally he would be smirking like an ass and teasing her relentlessly. But right now, he felt…not shy, but…what? Modest? Meek? Something equally as revolting and unbecoming of one such as himself?

His hand raked his hair back, catching on a few knots and tangles – something he usually had no trouble with when his hair was its usual length. It wasn’t slicked back right now either. After so long without being kept, it lay flat on his head, brushing the nape of his neck and covering his ears in an unfamiliar drape. Ugh, he probably looked like some punk teenager right now. How embarrassing… 

“Um…u-uh anyways, are uh, are you hungry?” Tooth suddenly cut into his thoughts, gesturing to the tray of food.

Pitch regarded the given food, taking notice of the modest contents. He was actually very grateful Tooth had not brought out some huge plethora of food for him. He would bet just the sight of too much food would make him ill. 

“No…” he said evenly, “But I suppose I should eat something all the same…”

Shock was apparent on Tooth’s face. Normally Pitch would decline food at every chance he got, if not for pride then because he simply did not want to be around her. But now here he was, subdued, calm, and actually willing to put his health before his pride. 

“Okay, um…it’s not much, but after being asleep for so long…” Pitch cut Tooth off before she could continue.

“How long exactly was I asleep _this_ time?” he asked.

Tooth bit her lip, settling back down from having stood to get the tray. She set it between herself and Pitch, folding her legs under herself.

“This time…it was nine days.” She said softly. 

Pitch felt his eyes widen into large saucers. Nine _days?_ Was she serious? He had been unconscious for nine fricken days!?

Tooth watched Pitch’s face carefully, as if trying to gauge his reaction. So far, all she was seeing was shock and a bit of stunned horror written over his face. She was just waiting for the proverbial shit to hit the fan and blow back in her face. But so far, nothing was happening.

And it wasn’t until a full minute had passed before Pitch so much as blinked. He deflated suddenly, shoulders slumping as he scrubbed a hand over his face.

“You know what? Forget it. I’m not even going to get into this.” He said tiredly. 

Tooth blinked, dumbfounded. But she was not about to argue or question the Boogeyman’s sudden desire to not get into what could very well end in an argument or hissy fit. As far as she was concerned, she had never even told him how long he had slept. 

So agreeing, she smiled tentatively and gestured to the tray, “Well, help yourself to whatever you like.”

Pitch nodded, and almost immediately took up the covered bowl of soup. Tooth picked up her own bowl, suddenly realizing how hungry she was, and they both tucked into the modest meal. 

Nothing was said between the two. The silence though was not awkward or uncomfortable. It wasn’t a comfortable silence per se, but it wasn’t disturbing in the least. It was so strange, especially to Tooth. She was never that good with silence, and usually took comfort in conversation, or some other noise in the background to distract her. Here though, it was…not so much as peaceful, but calm. It was serene, a lull of silence and companionship. It was almost like a silent agreement had been made between them. Though what this agreement was, Tooth could not be sure. 

Over the rim of her tea cup, Tooth watched as Pitch tentatively nibbled on a roll, hesitant. Not that she could blame him; if she were in his position, she would be a bit apprehensive of eating in case she got sick in the middle of eating something. But overall, she was very glad he was attempting to eat at all. 

He silently sipped at the light soup provided to him, every now and again using a free hand to push his uncooperative hair back. He glared at a lock that would not stay out of his face, and tried to force it to stay tucked behind one of his ears, to no avail. Tooth smiled, holding in her small bit of laughter; he was so cute. 

Pitch suddenly looked up at Tooth. He blinked at her wide eyes, thinned mouth, and the empty cup she had dropped onto the floor. He quirked a brow at Tooth and her odd expression. 

“Something wrong?” he asked carefully.

Tooth blinked owlishly, as if snapping out of her daze. She suddenly shook her head rapidly placed her tea cup back on the tray. 

“Uh, yeah, I just…” she cleared her throat, “Um…if you want, I can maybe trim your hair later?”

Again, Pitch found himself blinking dumbly at the fairy queen. Tooth felt her hands itching to fidget and wring together. She could see the gears turning in Pitch’s head, and yet she was uncertain as to what he was thinking. A beat assed before he came up with an answer.

“…sure.” He said quietly, lowering his gaze down to his lap. 

Tooth felt her heart skip a beat, and she could oddly find no control over the grin that broke over her face.

“G-great! I’ll uh…yeah, great!” she exclaimed. She wanted to kick herself. She wondered if her cheeks were red because of the odd excitement she felt, or her embarrassment. 

Brows rising further up, Pitch regarded Tooth oddly, before he shrugged to himself and went back to his meal. 

Clearing her throat, Tooth ignored the burning in her cheeks and poked at her half eaten roll. She wasn’t all that hungry anymore. Hesitantly, she looked over at the door leading out of the study room. She could almost literally feel Vidya’s accusing glare through the wooden door. In fact, she would bet her bottom molar that the fairy was pressed up against the door and listening in on them right now. And at any moment now, if she did not get her tail into gear, she would barge in and get things down to business; painfully.

Tooth swallowed, sighing to herself. There was no avoiding it. 

“Pitch…” she said, catching the other’s attention, “I…I think we need to talk. I mean _really_ talk.”

“…what about?” Pitch asked.

Tooth shrugged, “Well…everything I guess. I mean…what had happened nine days ago, what I had said…”

Tooth winced, internally scolding herself for the familiar heat rising up behind her eyes. Why the hell was she starting to cry now? This wasn’t the time or the place! 

Pitch, meanwhile, felt his lips tighten into a thin line. He set his half empty bowl aside and crossed his arms; a familiar habit of his, Tooth noticed. He seemed to only ever cross his arms as a way to unconsciously shield himself. 

“It is nothing, Toothiana. It was just-”

“No! It was not just ‘nothing’, Pitch. I said awful things to you when I knew next to nothing about how you truly felt for that boy!” Tooth exclaimed.

Pitch lowered his eyes, hands tightening around himself, “You could not have known…”

Tooth sighed, recognizing that Pitch was withdrawing into his shell again. Confrontations were not his, or her, forte evidently. His version of ‘confrontation’ likely involved a physical fight, various weapons, and her and the Guardians wielding said weapons. But right now, she was not about to pull out her rapiers and cut his head off. She wanted them to have an honest, calm, talk. 

“I…how _did_ you feel about him?” she asked instead.

Pitch seemed to think for a moment, as if mentally rehearsing what he was about to say. His jaw tightened and relaxed slightly, before he deflated with a sigh.

“I am not too sure…” he said quietly, “He was…a very curious, strange boy. He had no education, but he was intelligent, ridiculously so…”

Tooth settled back into a crossed legged position, listening in rapt attention as Pitch continued on.

“It seemed that no matter how much he was ridiculed, he always found some reason to pick himself up and move on. Always following me around like a lost pup…” he said, “But…but he was a good boy. He always begged me for stories of my life, about other spirits, where I have been, who I have met…”

Tooth nodded numbly, eyes wide as the Boogeyman spoke to her hazily, as if he were revisiting a lost memory. It amazed her how deeply Pitch could fall into a memory from so long ago – centuries passed through his eyes like a fast-forward slide-show. 

“He once asked me about Santa, the Easter Bunny, and you,” Pitch said, eyes narrowing, “I told him you lot were foul things, greedy, and were desperate to be rid of me…and he got scared. He asked me if I was in danger…I didn’t know what to say. No one had really ever worried for me before…so I got angry and told him I was more than capable of taking care of myself.”

Tooth was starting to see a pattern now. Whenever it seemed like someone was giving Pitch some shred of concern or a kindness, he would lash out; because he did not know how to handle such a concept. People being kind to him just did not compute with him, and it scared him when it became apparent that he did not know how to react. So the best way to make this fear, and the one causing it, to go away was to lash out.

“…he never once got mad at me. It infuriated me how forgiving he was,” Pitch continued, “I suppose as a way of apology, as a way to keep him near me, I would bring him some food – mostly fruit or bread, meat on rare occasions if I could get it.”

“I never did know why he followed me so much, or even why he could see me. I had assumed he was frightened of me, and that is why he could see me. But…as time went on, it became apparent that he was not afraid of me. It made me…confused…and then I became angry.”

He shook his head, covering his face in one hand on a propped up elbow.

“He was such a foolish, naïve, kind, considerate boy. Tch, he was annoyingly talkative too, always asking me questions.” Pitch suddenly scoffed, his voice breaking. 

“He even had this ridiculous idea that I was some sort of angel sent to him by a sympathetic god…”

Tooth felt her heart break all over again as she watched the obviously shaken man before her tremble and hide himself. Her hands tightened into fists on her lap, bunching and pulling at a few feathers on her legs. It was so obvious now – with now Pitch talked about him, he did not think the boy insignificant or useless. He loved that boy in his own standoffish way. And even worse still, he felt guilt over his death. If only he had not given the humans so much fear of witches and evil. If only he had toned it down. If only he had helped the boy more. If only, if only, _if only…_

“…I sometimes wonder if I could have done something,” he said, “I should have done _something_.”

I should have done something…it was like Tooth was hearing exactly what she had told herself all those days ago. The guilt of knowing that Pitch’s life and misery was the result of her and the Guardians’ obliviousness was still eating her alive. And to hear Pitch say he should have done something more for the sake of one little boy…

And whether it was from a sudden jolt of boldness, bravery, or stupidity, Tooth rose up onto her feet and made her ways towards Pitch. Eyes watering, she kneeled by the confused Boogeyman’s side, reached out, and wrapped her arms around him. She buried her face into his neck, where she could feel his pulse fluttering and beating strong and thunderous against her ear. 

“I’m sorry, Pitch…” she said softly, “I am so, so sorry. You lost so much, and the Guardians and I…we couldn’t see it. We should have seen how much pain you were in. But we…we were too caught up in our own existences, our own belief. And I just…I am so, _so sorry._ ”

She had no idea when she had started to cry. All she knew was that she was so mad at herself for letting even a single tear fall. She had no right to cry right now! If anyone should be crying, it was Pitch. But here she was, bawling her eyes out into the tense Boogeyman’s neck like a weeping damsel. 

“You…” she felt Pitch swallow thickly, his jugular moving against her forehead, “You what…?”

“I… _sob_ …I’m so sorry…! _Sob_ I’m the Guardian of Memories, and yet I failed to see how much that boy meant to you in your own memories!” Tooth sobbed, “I should have seen it – in his, or even your memories. But I didn’t! And I don’t know why!”

“…perhaps you did not want to think we meant something to one another,” Pitch sighed, his chin resting on her head, “For who could ever love a monster?”

Tooth sobbed, but no sooner broke down further when she felt the Boogeyman wrap his arms around her and hold her lightly, just barely touching her. Even now, he was scared of her. But despite that, he felt brave enough to comfort one of the people who had hurt him the most. 

She cried, arms tightening around Pitch’s neck. And just barely above a whisper, so softly that not even Pitch could hear her, she whispered,

“I could.”

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Augh, so much mush and fluff. Makes me sick XDD  
> I do not own Rufftoon or her work! I'm sure you'd spotted the references by now, but if not...I am sory, but you have phailed, get out.


	18. Chapter 18

They talked. For hours and hours, the two spirits talked about anything and everything. At first it was about the past, how things had played out before them and the other Guardians so violently. It seemed to dawn on both of them just how utterly foolish they had been, how ridiculous they were making the various situations. From the smallest skirmishes, to the most violent of wars – it was a vicious cycle, a slippery slope. They reflected on almost all of them, the end results usually ending with one of them – mostly Tooth – either crying their eyes out or apologizing.

And despite how utterly shattering the emotional turmoil was…they both felt lighter somehow. Like with each passing breath, each word that passed their lips, they were lightening a heavy burden they did not even know they had. 

And even more than that, they were developing an understanding for one another. With each conversation, it was like a light was being shone on a hidden reason behind Pitch’s actions. And oddly enough, it was always for the same reason; survival. 

“I seem to often forget that surviving and living are not the same thing…” he had said wearily, “I honestly have no idea what living is exactly. I just know it’s not what I have now.”

And he was right. Tooth seemed to realize then that Pitch’s life simply was not his own anymore. This was not the Dark Ages anymore; that had been his living back then. But now, he could not afford to live his life. He only had enough allowance for himself to survive to see the next night. He had gone from being a king to a peasant in terms of his height in power and strength. And now too weak to hold up a proper reign, he could only afford to focus his energy on gaining more power somehow, all the while keeping her and the other Guardians off his back. 

“I am as I depict myself – a hunted animal,” he said, “It is…quite surreal, going from being a dominant wolf to a pathetic mouse.”

He shook his head, fiddling with the spoon left by his empty bowl. 

“That is why I did not accept the Guardianship,” he said, “Not only did that god forsaken Moon betray me, but he and you Guardians had reduced me to something I had no concept of being.”

Tooth nodded, her eyes watering. In the end she had been partly right. Of course Pitch would turn down a Guardianship. Not only did the others just not want him around, but it was her and the others themselves that had hurt him and taken everything from him. It was like inviting a man you mugged, beat, and robbed to be a member of the gang who committed the crime. It just did not work, and in the end they would only give _some_ of what he earned back if he had joined them. He would never get back what he had worked so hard to earn throughout his life; and that was beyond unfair. 

And the Man in the Moon…just what had he been thinking, Tooth wondered. She had always thought Manny to be so wise, so kind to everyone.

When she had voiced this, he shook his head.

“That is a very well built illusion, Toothiana,” he said with a sigh, “The Man in the Moon only holds love for the children, and for those he sees fit to take care of said children. Everyone else is either an enemy or not worth his time.”

It hurt, this sudden revelation of truth. It hurt knowing that Tooth wasn’t chosen because of who she was, but because _she got lucky_. The others had met her, she showed them and Manny how good she was to children, and she was suddenly a Guardian. Manny had never even heard of her prior to the others meeting her. Who’s to say she would have ever become a Guardian if she had simply not been in the right place at the right time? 

It was like watching one light being lit one after the other in rapid succession. Slowly her once limited reasons and narrow thoughts were bright and cavernous. There were so many new reasons for once thought of actions. There was an answer to all the why’s, how’s, and when’s. Survival. 

No one wanted to die, why did it never occur to her that Pitch did not want to die either?

Pitch’s answer was to shrug, “It is in our nature. We are not human, but we have human nature. And as is human nature, it is at the forefront of our minds to be selfish and put ourselves before others – no matter how much they may be hurting.”

Tooth had never cried so much in her long life. But the odd part was, was that she was not crying from the horrible truth, but rather at how nonchalant Pitch was when he explained it to her. It was as if it was no big deal to him, how selfish and blind she and the others had been. It was as if he had given up on even trying to hope for someone to look his way, to see he was hurting.

It was only made worse because she could not blame him. 

There was no reason for someone to really look at him. Because no one believed he had a heart to hurt. 

It was childish, selfish, and downright cruel. And Tooth found herself wanting to put her head on the ground and under an elephant’s foot in that moment she realized this. 

Hours went by with Tooth both feeling lower than dirt at times, yet feeling like she could fly to the moon and back at the same time. It was beyond confusing, if not agitating. But for all the confusion, the emotions, and the overall frustrations of not completely understanding all these things, she honestly would not change a thing if she could. 

Tooth suddenly looked up at Pitch as he took in another deep breath. He seemed to be doing that a lot now. She frowned, reaching out to touch his arm as he seemed to be trying to compose himself.

“Pitch…?” she inquired.

Pitch cleared his throat, waving a hand, “Sorry…I have not talked so much in…well, ever.” He laughed breathlessly. 

Tooth herself breathed an airy laugh, suddenly feeling tired herself.

“I’m sorry…” she said with a meek smile.

“You seem to be saying that quite a bit today.” Pitch said, relining back into his coils.

And whether they were oblivious to it, or they simply did not wish to ruin the mood, but no one seemed to comment on their positions. Somehow during the long hours of talking, Tooth had somehow crawled into his coils and was curled up next to him, her head now resting on his shoulder. Pitch himself seemed completely oblivious to the fact that one of his thin arms was tucked behind her back with his hand resting on her waist. 

Gods, if any of the Mini-fairies – or better yet, the Guardians – saw them now…

Tooth hummed tiredly, suddenly aware of how tired she was. She looked over Pitch’s chest and out the window above them. It was dark outside, the only apparent light coming from pinpoint sized stars, and the crescent moon.

Tooth had a sudden moment of panic, wondering of Manny could see them. But her logical side quickly calmed her; he had no reason to be looking in on her now. And if he had seen Pitch, he likely would have summoned the others, or even told them about him by now. 

_‘I need to be careful though,’_ she thought, _‘We both need to be careful, otherwise we’re going to have four Guardians kicking down my doors and attacking before asking.’_

She bit her lip, her brows creasing as she thought. She very well knew that this could not stay a secret forever. But right now, she could not think ahead to the far future. Right now she could only try and think of some kind of plan in case things went completely south. 

“…Pitch, what do you-?” she pause, looking up at Pitch with wide, stunned eyes.

He was asleep. 

She blinked owlishly, a small bubbling of laughter starting to rise into her throat. She grinned and clapped a hand over her mouth, giggling to herself. She didn’t want to wake him! If anything, this was a good sign that he was still able to fall asleep. Heaven knows how amped she would be if she had slept for a week. 

_‘Guess I better head to bed too…’_ she thought, sighing and rubbing her eyes. 

Tooth paused, looking down at the warm coils surrounding her. She was rather comfortable, the scales smooth and soft against her feathers. A comforting heat had long since seeped through her feathers and into her skin. The steady rise and fall of his chest against her cheek was oddly soothing, yet saddening. She laid a hand against his chest, her fingers bumping against prominent ribs. It amazed her, how unhealthy the Bogeyman could be, and yet he did not seem to give a single damn. Was it such a normal occurrence for him, that it simply did not register to him as dangerous?

Yes, was the almost immediate answer. 

Tooth sighed, resting her head back on a bony shoulder. No, she could not dwell on this now – she was drained emotionally and physically. And Pitch had the right idea; sleep was looking awfully welcoming at the moment.

Tooth snuggled down into the mass of scales, curling up tightly against the Boogeyman. She had to go to bed now, maybe even check on her fairies. But she was so comfortable, so warm and tired.

It couldn’t hurt to stay for a few more minutes. Just a few…more…minutes… 

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

Sunlight poured in through the window and down over the sleeping pair. Scales of various colors glistened like colored dewdrops on volcanic glass. The mass of blue and emerald feathers shifted against an overcast grey body, sighing through her nose as a dainty hand slid up a narrow chest and came to rest on a prominent collar. 

Awake, but unwilling to open her eyes, Tooth felt content – even better than content. 

She smiled, snuggling down further against the warm presence around her. Her hand climbed up further until it curled over a bony shoulder, the skin warm under her hand. She hummed pleasantly as the large hand at her waist curled and wove long fingers into her feathers. She shuddered as the pads of his fingers dug deep enough to touch her skin, his fingers like a brand on her flesh. 

He was so warm, his touch feather light yet heated. Tooth could feel his coils shifting, the smooth shards rubbing against her body and tightening pleasantly all around her. Her smile widened as she pressed further into the Boogeyman’s side.

Definitely more than content.

Above her, Pitch stirred just the faintest bit. He sighed through his nose, eyes still shut, and mind foggy. Something warm and soft was pressed into his side, the velvety texture tickling his skin pleasantly. Humming, his fingers curled around a soft curve, carding through feathers to touch the soft, tender skin underneath. His coils shifting, he turned his head and buried it in the soft, feathery surface of _something._

He inhaled deeply, a pleasant scent invading his nose, _‘Lavender…?’_

Pitch grinned in his sleep, turning fully on his side to fully embrace this soft, warm thing. He made an absent mental note to ask Tooth just where she got her pillows from; this was uncannily comfortable. 

Nuzzling the soft plume he had buried his face in, he sighed. And then his pillow _moved_ and _hugged him._

_‘…what?’_ he wondered dumbly. Pillows don’t hug…pillows don’t feel like feathers…and since when did pillows _breathe!?_

Slowly, almost in trepidation, Pitch opened his eyes. 

The first thing he was greeted with was a blurry disarray of blues, yellows, and greens. The sudden visual assault nearly floored him, before he blinked rapidly to clear his sleep blurred vision. And once his vision cleared and sharpened, he could finally deduce that his face was buried not in a pillow, but feathers. A _head_ of feathers. 

_‘Oh god…’_ he thought in horror.

Okay…no, no, this was okay, this was not the time to panic. He was just…no, nothing was wrong here. He was just sleeping…he thought he was sleeping with a pillow…

_‘This is NOT a pillow…!’_

NO, no, no panicking! This was just…a minor case of mistaken identity, and…and…and…!?

_‘Do not move, do not move…’_ he thought, _‘For the love of all that is pure and evil in this world, DO NOT MOVE, and you – please DO NOT wake up…!’_

Apparently Pitch’s wishes were – once again – meant to be dashed head first into a rock. 

Tooth sighed and shifted, her legs stretching out and over Pitch’s coils. He absolutely did not shudder when her hand curled over the side of his neck, palming at his now erratic pulse point. He swore his pulse jumped at her touch, and he felt himself become completely tense as the fairy queen _nuzzled_ his neck. 

_‘Oh god, oh god, oh god….!’_ He thought. 

“Mm…” Tooth hummed pleasantly, her head feathers tickling the Boogeyman’s chin and neck. 

Slowly, she opened her eyes, bleary from sleep. Pitch resolved to stay completely stalk still as the fairy woman roused from her sleep. Oblivious to her bedmate, Tooth stretched her legs and wings, her back arching and causing her chest – _oh god_ ¬– into his torso. She yawned, smiling sleepily as her vision cleared. She rested her cheek back on Pitch’s throat, her arms curling around his neck.

She looked down at her rather warm and comfy pillow, and blinked. That…certainly did not look like a pillow. It did not feel like a pillow – _this was not a pillow._

Slowly, like a mouse carefully creeping out of its hiding place, Tooth turned her head upwards. She didn’t even pay any attention to the fact that her crest feathers were brushing against something as she turned upwards to look at the face of the Boogeyman. 

Deadpan. That was the only way she could describe it. Or rather, he looked like he just got a whiff of something utterly foul, and was making an effort in trying not to notice it. And failing. And she was…

Oh… _oooh_ dear.

No, no, this was _okay_. They were just…they fell asleep! This was fine. This was not the time to be reacting with panic. No matter how fast her heart was now racing, no matter how red and burning her face was, and no matter how badly that scream in her throat wanted to escape, she would _not-!_

“Good morning…” was the drawled greeting from the Boogeyman.

…calm be _damned._

“EEK!”

“AUGH!”

And of course, _dignity be damned._

In what had to have been a glorious display of utter skill and swift prowess, Tooth had literally launched herself off of Pitch, flew backwards, and ran back first into the innocent bookcase just a few feet behind her. Apparently the bookshelf did not like this, and the impact had prompted an avalanche of books to fall right on her – particularly her head. And whether it was on purpose, or out of the sheer panic, she had accidently planted her knee into the lower half of Pitch’s pelvis. Sad to say that even though he did not have legs at the moment, he still felt that, damn it!

“Son of a-!? What the absolute _hell_ Toothiana…!?” Pitch choked, his voice high from the rather uncalled for retaliation.

The fairy queen groaned, clutching her aching head, books piled around her. Eyes squinted from the pain, she looked up with a flustered expression at the Boogeyman, who was doubled over with his arms clutching his lower stomach. Blinking owlishly, she offered him a meek smile, still clutching her head.

“Uh…g-good morning, Pitch…” she said.

“Good-? What is _good_ about you kneeing me in the-”

_“Hello?”_ chirped a familiar voice form behind the door, _“Mom? Pitch? Everything okay? We heard a crash.”_

“Uh, we’re fine, Vidya! Just had a uh…accident…” Tooth called lamely. Pitch fixed her a dead pan look.

“…yes, ‘accident’.” He drawled.

“You surprised me!” Tooth exclaimed, pushing herself up from the pile of books.

“I surprised _you?_ You’re one to talk!” Pitch snapped, slowly uncurling from his recoiled position.

“I didn’t-! Ugh, I don’t know what I’m doing in my sleep! I didn’t know I was – ow!” Tooth suddenly clutched her shoulder, vaguely recalling a hardcover book jabbing itself into the bas eof her upper wing there.

Pitch paused, his expression unreadable as he watched the fairy queen bite her lip and rub at the back of her shoulder. Eyes narrowed, he settled back on his coils and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I’m not going to get into this now, it’s too damn early…” he muttered.

Tooth, while surprised, was exceedingly grateful to avoid another stupid argument. She sighed, carefully getting up without moving her wing, and shuffled back over to Pitch. She took a seat on a large pillow next to him, wings folding neatly against her back.

“I’m sorry…” she said carefully, “I…sometimes cling to things in my sleep. Usually it’s a pillow or something, but…”

“…right.” Pitch said stoically.

“Yeah…”

Tooth cursed herself and the sudden lull of awkward silence. This wasn’t supposed to be a thing anymore! Last night was…what? A turning point? Some reason for them to now be best friends forever? Right…

_‘Come on Tooth, say something! Anything!’_ she thought to herself.

She opened her mouth, about to let loose a completely random comment that she would no doubt regret, but was stopped.

“Your wing…” Pitch suddenly said.

“Huh?” Tooth said dumbly, looking at Pitch owlishly. The Boogeyman nodded to her shoulder.

“Your wing,” he said, “Does it still hurt?”

Tooth blinked, suddenly confused and very much unsure. But against her own will, her head slowly bobbed up and down in a nod. Pitch drummed his fingers on his lap, before turning to face Tooth fully.

“Turn around.” He suddenly said.

“…huh?” Tooth wanted to kick herself. She was a grown woman, she was capable of using _real words!_

“I said, turn around.” Pitch said, a bit more impatient. 

And whether it was because he was getting agitated, or she was curious, or she simply could not say no to him at the moment, Tooth turned so her back was to Pitch. Why exactly did he want her to turn around? Did he need some privacy for some reason? He could have just asked her to leave if that was the case. But then again, he was virtually shirtless the entire time he had been here, so it’s not like she hasn’t seen anything above his waist. So why-?

She squeaked suddenly, her back going ram-rod straight and tense. Eyes wide, Tooth did not dare to move as the Boogeyman shifted behind her. 

His hand, large and warm, gently cupped the base of her aching wing. She felt frozen to the spot as his fingers carefully, gently, ran along the base and her back. She vaguely heard him hum thoughtfully to himself, but could not think of anything else except the hand he had on her wing.

She shuddered when his warm fingers wrapped around it, giving it a gentle, experimental squeeze. She didn’t have the mental power to hold in the gasp that escaped her from the new sensation. Her hands bunched on her thighs, and a fiery blush overcame her face.

“It does not feel broken or sprained,” he suddenly said, “Likely just a bruise.”

Tooth nodded slowly, dumbly. She suddenly gasped again when Pitch placed his entire hand between her wings, the heat of his hand sinking through her feathers and into her skin. Her heart beat erratically as he applied just the smallest bit of pressure, prompting her to lean forward slightly. Her breath caught in her throat when she suddenly felt a puff of his hot breath against her neck, her eyes wide and her body unable to do anything against him.

_‘What is he…?’_ she swallowed, a shudder climbing up her back.

“Toothiana…” he breathed against her neck, causing her eyes to flutter shut and her body to melt.

“Y…yes…?” she rasped.

His eyes narrowed just out of her peripheral vision, and she heard him deeply inhale through his nose. Her vision flashed in and out of her eyes briefly, and she could feel her heart fluttering madly in her chest. Her feathers ruffled, and suddenly it was getting harder for her to catch her breath. She was virtually swooning and panting before him. 

A slight pause stretched her already heated resolve, and before she could demand what he wanted, he spoke.

“Your wing is fine.” He said.

And then his hand was gone, his hot presence against her back was gone, and suddenly Tooth wanted it _back._

She couldn’t even speak, not when the lingering heat of his hand on her wing was still so fresh on her skin. Her brain simply would not compute just what had happened, and nor did it seem like it wanted to. She was suddenly overcharged, too warm, and too eager for… _what?_

And as if someone had pressed the ‘reboot’ button, everything did a complete three-sixty in her head.

“I…” Tooth suddenly said, startling Pitch, “I-I’ll bring breakfast then. Um…be right back!”

And suddenly she was flying out the door like a bat out of hell. 

And now Pitch was alone. Felt to stare stupidly at the door as if he were waiting for a marching band to come through it. 

What exactly had just happened?

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

When Tooth had rather unceremoniously exited the room, she was confronted by a rather amused looking Baby-Tooth, and a rather unimpressed Vidya. Both had their tiny arms crossed and were staring Tooth down, baby-Tooth’s lopsided grin becoming more and more condescending by the minute. Vidya just looked more deadpan than a white wall. 

_“So…”_ Baby-Tooth started pleasantly, _“How’d it go?”_

“Not now Baby-Tooth…” Tooth rasped.

_“Oh come on! Give us details! What happened? Did you make up? Is he still being a jerk?_ ” Baby-Tooth probed further, following her queen – along with Vidya – into the kitchens.

_“Better yet, have you two reconciled your differences and formed an at least decent truce?”_ Vidya asked. 

Tooth paused in front of the counter in her personal kitchen, staring at the various baskets of different fruits and vegetables. She swallowed audibly, her hands in the middle of reaching for a few plates and a tray. 

“I…” she cleared her throat, “I…think so?” 

_“You ‘think’ so?”_ Vidya probed. 

“I don’t know! I mean…” Tooth sighed, looking over the food options, “I mean, we talked pretty much all night, I fricken _slept_ with him, and-”

_“You did what!?”_ Baby-Tooth screeched. 

“Wha- NO! No, oh god no!” Tooth veered around to a disgusted looking Baby-Tooth and a stunned Vidya, “No! I mean I fell _asleep_ with him!”

_“Oh…”_ Baby-Tooth blushed, clearing her throat, _“Uh…right. That’s what I thought.”_

_“Uh-huh, sure…”_ Vidya drawled, before turning back to Tooth, _“So what will you do now?”_

What will you do now…that was a very good question. Tooth had to wonder just what exactly she will do next. Right now things just seemed…peaceful in a way, calm. It seemed taboo to try and break up that sense of calm with any attempts to improve the situation further. But a part of her wanted to keep improving things; to make things for both of them better. But just where she expected to take everything, she had no idea.

_‘That’s a lie,’_ she thought to herself, _‘You know exactly where you want to go with this.’_

Tooth picked out some mild fruits and breads, setting them on the tray.

“I’m…not too sure,” she said, “Right now, we’re just trying to sort out our own thoughts.”

_“Understandable,”_ Vidya mused, _“What do you think he wants to do?”_

Again, another good question that Tooth was unqualified to answer. A part of her hoped he wanted what she wanted. But a larger, more logical side was leaning more towards Pitch simply wanting to get the summer over with and leave. 

And…it oddly hurt, this thought of hers. It hurt knowing that he likely wanted nothing more to do with her after all this…

_‘Not that I can blame him…’_ she thought in remorse, _‘His entire stay here is based on blackmail. And he’s gotten nothing but grief from it…’_

“…I think he just wants to get things done and over with.” She said softly.

Vidya and Baby-Tooth said nothing then as Tooth continued to make breakfast. A moment of silence passed between them, before Vidya perked up.

_“Oh. Hang on.”_ She flitted from the kitchen and to parts unknown. 

Baby-Tooth quirked a brow after her sister, before looking over at her queen questioningly. Tooth could only shrug, just as clueless. Vidya no sooner returned a minute later, clutching something in her arms.

_“I found this under the table after the…incident.”_ She said delicately, holding the item out to Tooth.

The fairy queen blinked and took the little shard. She at first thought it was a rock, or an arrow head. But upon closer inspection, she found it to be the all too familiar scale Pitch had given her.

“I…I completely forgot about this.” She said in stunned wonder.

She ran a finger over its surface, but frowned when she felt a ridged line on it. Narrowing her eyes, she brought it up closer to her face and found the cause of the problem. There, just down the length of the scale, was a large crack.

“Oh no,” she said, looking to Vidya, “Did something happen to it?”

Vidya shook her head, _“No. It was like that when I found it.”_

Tooth blinked and looked back down at the scale. A glint caught her eye, and she frowned as she squinted down at it again. She looked into the crack itself, and that same glint was present. Her eyes widened at what she saw inside the crack, just under the surface of the charcoal surface.

Gold. 

To be continued…


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter, way below my standards, but hey, I updated. WHAT UP? XD  
> Enjoy!

Breakfast was a quiet affair. Not uncomfortably so, but Tooth did not think she could call it a ‘comfortable silence’. It was simply a moment in time in which they simply _were_. They existed, they were here, and the need for words was obsolete. 

Tooth watched over the rim of her cup as Pitch tentatively nibbled on some bread. He had hardly touched anything outside some fruit and the bread. Not that she could blame him, but living off fruits and breads wasn’t any way to get healthy again.

“Um…” Pitch looked up at Tooth, blinking slowly as she meekly continued, “Did…did you want to do anything today?”

Pitch blinked owlishly, swallowing what he already had in his mouth before speaking.

“I beg your pardon?” he asked. Tooth cleared her throat, fidgeting with her hands. 

“I mean, did you want to do anything?” she asked, “It must get boring just staying in one place for so long, and I was wondering if we could…I don’t know…go out and do something…?”

He stared, “…go out…” he repeated.

Tooth nodded, a flush painting her cheeks.

Pitch slowly set down the half eaten roll he had been working on, and folded his hands neatly in his lap.

“That would be quite difficult, would it not?” he asked carefully, “I am in no condition to use my powers just yet. And I doubt you can carry me anywhere – not that I would allow such an indignation.”

“Well that’s just it! You wouldn’t need your powers, and I wouldn’t need to…carry you.” Tooth said, fighting a small smile at the idea.

Pitch frowned, crossing his arms, “Then what do you propose?”

Tooth grinned in triumph, her wings flickering in excitement.

“I only have a few, but North gave me and the others a small supply of his Snowglobes,” she said, “For emergencies of course, but we sometimes use them for recreational use.” 

“…recreational use…” Pitch repeated.

Tooth flushed, “Yeah…”

Pitch raised a brow at the fairy queen, his expression deadpan. His gaze flickered to her wings, and Tooth glared with crossed arms.

“I sometimes like taking shortcuts, okay!?” she said. Pitch snorted, smirking. 

“Uh-huh…” he said, “So what exactly are you saying? You want to take me out some place in the world where I could possibly cause trouble, gain a bit of power, then raze hell on you once I have adequate energy?”

Sometimes, Tooth wondered why she even bothered trying to be nice to the prickly Boogeyman. It was like trying to hug a cactus. It wasn’t really its fault it had needles, but you’d think after a few tries you would get the message. But in this case, Tooth just guessed she was a glutton for his sarcasm and sharp tongue. 

“No,” She deadpanned, “I mean, we could go somewhere where we can relax, do something fun, or just to see the sights. We don’t need to be near people, but if you prefer it…”

In trust, she hoped that if he chose to go somewhere with her, they would be alone. She didn’t really know how to explain why, but…she wanted some alone time with Pitch.

Pitch seemed to think her words over, lips thinning into a tight line. He crossed his arms over his narrow chest, seemingly regarding her with sharp intent. It made the fairy queen uncomfortable, and she could feel herself squirming under his scrutinizing gaze. 

“…where exactly would we go?” he suddenly asked.

“Well, anywhere you want. I don’t have any preferences.” Tooth said, shrugging.

“Hmm…” Pitch hummed, thoughtful.

Tooth fidgeted slightly, mentally scolding herself for such a terrible habit. She waited as Pitch seemed to think some more, as if weighing his options. Though why he seemed to think he had to consider all options was a bit disconcerting to her – they would just be going out, not robbing a bank…

“…someplace dark,” Pitch suddenly said, “On the night side of the world.”

“Oh! Uh, sure, we can do that.” Tooth said, “Anywhere in particular…?”

“…anywhere but Burgess.” Pitch said softly.

Slowly, Tooth nodded, suddenly uncertain, “Okay…”

Her wings fluttering, she flew up from her seated position and went to get a Snowglobe from her room. She came back not even a minute later, a small satchel hung around her shoulders with two Snowglobes in hand. 

“Well, last chance to pick some place.” She said.

“Let’s just go.” Pitch said impatiently.

Pursing her lips, Tooth nodded, “Okay…”

She paused from shaking a globe though, suddenly lost in thought. Pitch was obviously troubled by something, perhaps by memories of his latest defeat. Or perhaps he was just now so used to being in her Palace, that despite how he _wanted_ to get out and go somewhere, he also at the same time did not want to. It was a very confusing mindset, especially when you start to share a blood supply with one specific spot. 

She wanted to cheer him up somehow though. She looked down at the colorful globes, each one shifting through various images of places to choose from. The colors were dizzying, much like the aurora-like vortex…

Aurora…

She gasped, suddenly knowing where she wanted to take him.

Pitch frowned at her, “What is it?” he asked.

Tooth suddenly grinned, waving him off, “Nothing. I know exactly where to take you.”

Turning, she shook a globe and got ready to throw it. But she paused suddenly and looked back at Pitch.

“Um, it’s not going to bother you if it’s cold, will it…?” she asked.

Pitch shrugged, “No, or at least if it is cold, I can’t stay too long. I store heat in my body like water, but it will run out eventually if it’s being used up too fast.”

Tooth nodded in understanding and tossed the globe into a wall. The swirling vortex of colors burst into existence with a roar. Smiling, Tooth grabbed Pitch’s hand and started leading him towards it. 

“Come on!” she said.

“Now hang on a minute, I don’t – HEY!” Pitch was yanked rather forcefully into the vortex, much to his surprise; who knew someone as petite as Tooth was so strong?

And in the blink of an eye, and a rush of air being compressed out of his lungs, the gold and warm colors of Tooth Palace vanished. The gold of the palace was no sooner replaced by the chilling, calm colors of dark and cold.

A shock of surprise shot up Pitch’s spine as his coils touched down on something soft and very cold. His skin prickled as biting winds touched his skin, and his aching lungs were suddenly filled with ice. He was at first frightened, if not defensive, but once his vision cleared, he found the strength to calm somewhat. 

Wherever they were, it was rather barren. Aside from the many vast mountains and tundra’s of snow, they looked to be one some mountain top. 

Blinking owlishly, Pitch looked to his right and saw Tooth shiver briefly, rubbing her arms for warmth as she stashed the second globe into her satchel. 

“Whoo…chilly,” Tooth said, her feathers ruffling, “Well, here we are!”

“…yes,” Pitch deadpanned, “Where exactly _is_ here?”

“Greenland!” Tooth chirped, “Somewhere to the north-west I believe.”

“Uh-huh…” Pitch said, looking around with a scrutinizing, disbelieving gaze, “Why, exactly?”

“Why what?”

“Why are we _here?_ ” Pitch snapped, “There’s nothing here, and we’re going to freeze our tails off if we stay here for longer than necessary!”

Tooth rolled her eyes, “Hey, U know that. I didn’t bring us here for nothing.”

“Then _what?_ ” Pitch growled.

“Just…wait.” Tooth said patiently, folding her arms around herself, her gaze upwards towards the sky.

Pitch sighed in exasperation, winding his coils into a circle under himself to preserve warmth. Arms wrapped around himself, he had to wonder just why he had got topless for so long. And if they were going to a place like this, _why_ had Tooth not thought for them to dress properly for the trip? Not that he was normally opposed to the cold, he actually preferred it. But in his current form, it was a slight hindrance and a disadvantage. He could already feel the heat he stored in the core of his tail starting to be leeched by the cold, and goosebumps rose up on his skin. 

“Toothiana, this isn’t-”

“Wait,” Tooth urged, “Wait…”

Pitch groaned, hunching his shoulders. What exactly were they here for? Tooth wasn’t exactly a winter bird to begin with, there’s no reason or her to come here, let alone bring him along. 

“There!” Tooth suddenly exclaimed, gaze still skyward. 

Frowning, Pitch looked up, and suddenly he felt his blood freeze further. 

“Damn…!” he growled, scales rising, “Toothiana, if you summoned the others here, I swear I’ll-!”

“No, no, no!” Tooth was quick to defend herself, holding her hands up to Pitch, “This isn’t the Northern Lights. Well, I mean it is, but it’s the natural one, not North’s.” 

Pitch narrowed his eyes, disbelieving. But looking back up at the dancing lights in the sky, he seemed to note that they did not stretch out to all ends of the earth unnaturally like North’s signal. And the colors were more subdued, mostly ranging in the range of cool colors, with only a few splashes of yellow. 

He relaxed slightly, staring up at the waving lights above. 

“This is what you wanted to show me…?” he asked carefully.

“Yeah!” Tooth said, before flushing slightly, “Um…I mean, do you like it…?”

On the whole, Pitch was not an overly excitable person. He could be quite grateful, even anticipated, but he did not have the physical capacity to express it too loudly. And truthfully, he was not one for showy gifts, and nor was he easily impressed by things. However…

He nodded, “It is lovely.”

Tooth smiled tentatively, turning back to watch the aurora. The lights danced and swayed like the crashing waves of the ocean. Beside her, Pitch tentatively looked up as well. His narrowed eyes softened slightly as he watched the lights above them, their colors dancing around his eyes. He vaguely noted that the colors reminded him of Tooth…

He suddenly turned to look down at Tooth as she breathed against her hands to warm them, her arms returning to wrap around herself. She was openly shaking now, her breath coming out in shaky puffs as she continued to watch the aurora with determination. 

He blinked slowly, the gears slowly turning in his head as he seemed to be trying to decide between something. 

Shuddering, Tooth continued to watch the sky, determined to make worth it to Pitch. If they left now, it wouldn’t have been much of a trip after all. She just had to tough out the cold, and if she went home and she woke up sick the next morning…well, she would somehow find a way to say it was worth it. 

Rubbing her arms, Tooth suddenly startled as something grabbed her around her waist.

“What the-?”

“Hold still.” Pitch suddenly said.

His strong tail pulled her in close to him, winding around her waist like a vine. It pulled it further into his coils until she was ushered to sit on a thicker section. She stiffened with wide eyes as his arms lipped over her shoulders, and suddenly she was pressed into his side, and a flood of warmth seeped into her feathers and into her body. 

Face flushing brightly, Tooth was frozen to the spot as the cold was quickly blocked out and heat was soaked into her body like water to a sponge. He gently squeezed her tighter to his side, reclining back into his coils.

“Better?” was the nonchalant, almost uncaring, question. 

Eyes wide, Tooth only nodded dumbly.

“…yes.” She said softly.

She felt more than heard him hum a response, his arm still slung over his shoulder. Carefully, she leaned her head to the side and rested her cheek on his shoulder, eyes staring up at the aurora. She sighed, her body finally starting to relax.

“It’s beautiful…”

She thought she felt Pitch nod, or perhaps shift against her.

“Yes…beautiful…” he said.

She chanced a look up at him, and was shocked to find he was not looking up at the aurora, but rather at her. 

They stared at one another, Tooth’s eyes wide and anxious, while Pitch’s were calm and intense. The gold of his irises danced with blues and greens from the aurora, and she could see her own reflection in them. A small part of her mind was slightly stunned by the utterly stupefied look she was making reflected in his eyes, and yet…

 _‘Don’t think…’_ she thought.

And he was…getting closer? Why was he getting closer? He was…was he…? 

Her heart was pounding. His skin was hot and feverish against her. His hand was around her waist, his palm hot against her feathers. Her breath was frantic, and she could feel his own heart hammering steadily yet thunderously against his ribs. 

_‘Don’t stop…’_ she thought.

Slowly, she leaned in closer to him as well until their noses nearly touched. They paused, just staring at one another, their eyes unreadable. 

“Pitch…?” she breathed quietly, so softly she had to wonder if she even said anything. 

He didn’t say anything, and instead lifted his free hand and placed it against the back of her neck. She shuddered, the heat from his body nearly overwhelming her. It was all around and inside of her now, this strange, intense heat of his. It was unlike any kind of heat she’s felt. It was something strange, yet so undoubtedly Pitch.

_‘Don’t stop…!’_

Her heart must be easily heard by him by now, she thought. There was no way he could not hear the thundering organ in her breast. 

A puff of his breath ghosted over her face, and her eyes fluttered shut as she sighed shakily. She felt him pulled her closer, her chest pressing into his, and his arms and tail fully encircling her like a constrictor around a helpless mouse. 

She shuddered, her breath picking up in speed and her eyes unable to open, somehow having become too heavy. And oddly, she didn’t even want to open them. She did not want to move, to talk, or do anything that could ruin this moment. She could vaguely see the aurora lights dancing through her eyelids, and a shadowy form swimming in the center of his vision. It was getting closer, so close…

_‘Pitch…’_

Puffs of warm air were brushing against her lips then, and she felt herself pucker them slightly, reaching, desperate, wanting-!

“Hey Tooth!”

Eyes suddenly snapped open, vision invaded by wide, startled gold eyes. 

“Tooth!”

The fairy queen gasped, veering her head upwards towards the sky. Just a ways off, floating on the wind in the sky, she could see a lanky figure heading towards them.

Jack Frost had found them.

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And COCK-BLOCK! XDD  
> Stay tuned for the next chapter! 8D


	20. Chapter 20

Jack Frost was, by nature, a nomad. He never stayed in one place for too long, the only exception being his hometown of Burgess. It was where he had awakened as a spirit, where he became a Guardian, and where he was seen by his first Believer. Burgess was a home; it wasn’t the home, but it was a home. And if you needed to find him, your chances of meeting him at the very least increased if you went to Burgess.

However, whenever he needed to get away, he would explore the world on the wind. One moment he could be in America exploring towns and its people, the next he could be in a completely foreign country. Though his options on where to go were fairly limited; places that were too hot or humid were not very good for his element, unless it was in a cold season, or a particularly cold night. 

He had his favorite places as well – one such place being Greenland. It was cold, there were few people, and it provided one of the best light shows of all time by nature herself. He only ever came to Greenland when he was in a rare mood when he wanted some peace and quiet though. And these moods were very rare indeed.

And it turned out he came to Greenland at just the right – or the wrong – time. 

He had been flying rather aimlessly for a couple hours then, just flitting and dancing among the lights. He had often wondered if he could touch them, but each try had yielded no sensations or solid surface. Though that didn’t stop him from checking every now and again. 

But just as he had been heading westward, he caught a spot of color on a mountain top. At first he thought it was some extreme mountain climber or explorer, and went in to take a look. If it was someone lost, there wasn’t much he could do, but he could at least use some part of his power to help guide the person. Freezing to death was no way to go. 

But upon his getting closer, the speck of color turned out to be two. One seemed to be a large black rock, and just nestled upon it was…

“Hey Tooth!” He called, recognizing the iridescent fairy woman. 

“Tooth!” he called again, flying closer to the fairy queen.

But the closer he got, the more he seemed to frown in confusion. That rock looked very…strange. It almost looked like it was wrapped around her. Like some kind of…

And then he saw the face and torso.

A shock of grey on a blue-white washed setting. Hovering over her, nearly crowding her into whatever it was she was sitting on. He stopped just yards away from them, eyes wide and mouth parted slightly. 

At first he thought he was seeing things. But as moments of stunned silence passed, broken only by the high pitched sigh of the wind, he began to realize just what he was seeing. 

The rock was not a rock. Eyes veering down the grey torso found it was connected at the hips to this dark black thing. A thing that was actively moving, _breathing_. It wasn’t a rock he was attached to, but a _snake tail_. It was wrapped tightly around Tooth, only her chest and arms and head free of its confines. And the man himself…

Pitch Black. 

It was like a switch had been flipped. Jack did not even bother to mentally ask himself why Pitch looked like a Naga. All he knew was that he had Tooth in his clutches, and he looked like he had been about to maul her. 

“GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!” he screamed, staff brandished.

Pitch didn’t get a chance to move out of the way as the frost sprite rushed at him, swinging his staff in an arch and sending a sub-zero wave of cold at him. He hissed, automatically curling himself into a ball around himself and Tooth. 

Jack landed before the ball of scales, his staff forming a coat of solid ice and spikes on it.

“Get off her!” He snapped, slamming his staff against the scales like a nail-imbedded baseball bat.

Pitch hissed and uncurled, throwing himself off of the stunned Tooth. He bore his fangs at Jack, scales flaring and body tense. 

Tooth, shaking herself of the shock, gasped and ran between them.

“Jack, stop! He’s not-”

“Duck!” Jack called, throwing a flurry of cold and ice over her head and at Pitch.

The Boogeyman threw up his tail, catching the freezing impact, but freezing part of his tail in the process. He hissed, cringing as the sheer cold of the ice, coupled with the environment, seeped into his body. His body was locking up, muscles shuddering under his skin as his body worked to conserve heat. He was slowing down, and fast. 

Jack dive-bombed him, another flurry of blue lightning and ice flying towards the Boogeyman. Pitch roared as he was hit, half the length of his tail and part of his torso freezing.

“Pitch!” Tooth cried, flitting over to Jack to try and calm and reason with him, “Jack STOP!”

She grabbed the frost sprite’s arm, trying to yank him back before he could pursue Pitch further.

“Jack, you need to stop! He’s not doing any-!”

“Tooth, get out of here! I got him!” Tooth growled, face flushing; he wasn’t listening!

But before she could try and pursue the sprite further, Jack was off like a rocket, his staff visibly powering up as he went on a straight shot for Pitch.

The Boogeyman huffed, his whole body shaking now. He bore his teeth in frustration as he watched through narrowed eyes as Jack careened for him. He was freezing and his body would not cooperate with him in these conditions. If he could just muster enough power to get out of there…!

Jack drew his staff back, ready to throw a final blow at the Boogeyman. Pitch grit his teeth, preparing himself with tensing muscles. And just as Jack was about to land a final blow, Pitch summoned the very last ounce of his strength and willpower. 

Roaring, Pitch’s whole body snapped in an arch, the bulk of his tail flying out like a giant whip. Jack barely had time to gasp as the large, scaly mass came at him. The wind was not strong enough to change his direction, and so he shut his eyes and braced himself as the swift mass impacted with his body and sent him flying into a pile of snow. 

Jack groaned, pushing himself out of the pile of snow. He glared murderously at Pitch, who was now openly shuddering, the tremors of his body helping to flake of the broken ice on his body. He was helpless now, defenseless.

Seeing this, Jack picked up his staff once more and flew at Pitch, charging it up once more.

But before he could land an attack…

“STOP!”

Jack just _barely_ forced himself to stop in time before running headlock into Tooth. The fairy queen was hovering between him and the Boogeyman, arms spread out and eyes locked dangerously onto Jack in a scowl. Panting from the adrenaline, Jack shook his head in disbelief.

“Tooth, what are you doing!?” he yelled, “You need to get out of here and warn the others!”

“No!” Tooth snapped, her glare intensifying, “You need to listen to me! He’s not a danger!”

“Are you kidding me!? He’s Pitch!” Jack snapped.

“Jack, look at him!” Tooth snapped back, pointing to Pitch, “Does he look in any shape to fight you!?”

Reluctantly, Jack eyed the Boogeyman behind her. He was absolutely covered in frost, ice, and snow. His arms – thinner than he recalled – were wrapped tightly around himself, his entire body trembling with the cold. Puffs of shaky breath left purpling lips, ice crystals clinging to cold-stiff hair. Add in the fact that he wasn’t wearing any form of clothing, in the wastes of Greenland of all places, it was like he was looking at some half-starved animal slowly dying out in the drifts. 

Jack slowly lowered his staff, his eyes never leaving Pitch. Slowly, he started to calm, but did not relent his defensive posture.

“Tooth…” he started slowly, “What is going on…?”

Tooth sighed, relaxing slightly. A part of her was preparing to explain herself and Pitch, but the sound of chattering teeth caught her attention.

Pitch was not going to last out here. They needed to get back to Tooth Palace and get him warm. 

Tooth turned back to Jack, reaching into her satchel and taking out the last Snowglobe.

“Let’s talk at the palace.” She said seriously.

She didn’t even wait for Jack to respond. She shook the globe and tossed it against a snowbank, opening the swirling vortex of colors that would take them to Tooth Palace. 

Flitting over to Pitch, and ignoring Jack’s startled sputtering, Tooth gently took Pitch’s arm and somewhat forcibly pulled him towards the portal. His movements were sluggish and slow, his tail seeming to be moving in slow motion as he pushed himself through the cold and through the portal.

Once he was through, Tooth turned to Jack and gestured him to follow her before she too flitted through. 

Jack blinked, suddenly unsure and very much confused.

And still, his feet carried him through the portal.

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

“…and that’s basically what happened.” Tooth finished breathlessly, shoulders slumping in a mixture of relief and embarrassment. 

Across from her, Jack sat stupefied with crossed legs, hands clutching at a quickly chilling cup of water (she didn’t have any hot chocolate or other sugary drinks). The story she had told him about how things came to be was flabbergasting, unbelievable. And although everything she told him – well, most everything; Tooth left out some events that would not bode well for her or Pitch – had only spanned over about a month, it was like it had gone on over the course of years with how intense it was. 

Jack was virtually gaping at her throughout the whole story, his expressions going through various shifts and changes. From shocked, to thoughtful, to disgusted, to downright grossed out and freaked out. 

Over by the fire place, Pitch was slumped in his coils among numerous blankets and pillows, nursing a cup of tea. He had, the entire time, blatantly refused to join in the conversation, let alone the explanation. He ignored all of Jack’s suspicious and shocked looks, even when directed at him, and only focused on trying to keep from falling asleep. Like hell he was going to fall asleep with Jack fricken Frost within the vicinity…

As if knowing he was thinking about him, Jack turned to look at Pitch with wide eyes. Pitch narrowed his eyes at the frost sprite, as if daring him to say or do something stupid. But he said nothing, just stared at him.

“…take a picture, Frost, it’ll last longer.” Pitch growled. 

The tips of Jack’s ears turned red and he swiftly looked away from Pitch, fiddling with his cup.

“So…” he started, “This all happened because you left a tooth behind, went to find it, but instead found Pitch in this new fetish-form?”

“Oh for the love of – it is not a fetish! I took this form to survive the heat of summer!” Pitch snapped. 

“Riiiight…” Jack, the smart ass little shit, smirked.

Tooth sighed, rubbing her forehead, “Jack, come on, let’s act mature here for a while please?”

“Okay, okay, sorry,” Jack said, holding his hands up in surrender, “But seriously, how did…I mean, all of this? I’m surprised he doesn’t just leave.”

“Not like I could if I wanted to.” Pitch groused. Jack raised, a brow, looking to Tooth for help. She shrugged.

“He’s too weak. His powers were depleted after our fight,” she said, “And he can only absorb fear from a certain distance. We’re too far from humans for him to power up.” 

“Oh…” Jack said, “And why were you two out in Greenland anyways? I mean, he’s a snake, you’re a pretty tropical person, so what…?”

“Uh, well…” Tooth blushed, scrambling for some form of explanation that did not involve her spewing her feelings all over the floor.

And whether it was because he could sense how uncomfortable she was becoming, or he was just sick of the whole thing, Pitch broke in with a scoff.

“I was bored just sitting around here all day,” he said, “So I demanded she take me someplace.” 

Jack blinked, “…seriously?”

“Yes, seriously.” Pitch insisted, crossing his arms. 

Jack only quirked a brow, suspicious, but he made no further arguments. Instead he sighed and raked a hand through his hair, looking back at Tooth.

“So…you told me everything, but something tells me you don’t want the others to know.” He said.

Tooth smiled sadly, shaking her head, “No. I’m sorry Jack, but even you have to understand they wouldn’t be as accepting. Bunny would flat out refuse to believe any of this, Sandy still has a bone to pick with Pitch and North is…well, North.”

He nodded, “Yeah, I get you. I do I just…don’t like keeping secrets from you guys.”

Tooth sighed, a burden of guilt dropping into her stomach. It wasn’t fair to make Jack do this, to ask him to keep a secret of all things from the others. If anything, the fact that she was virtually begging him to keep quiet about the whole thing proved just how out of control it was getting.

Jack suddenly caught her attention, “Look, I won’t say anything, I promise. But if they find out some other way, I can’t promise I can talk you out of it or anything.”

“No! No, I completely understand,” Tooth said, “Worst case scenario, if they do find out, I’ll take the heat.”

Jack nodded, crossing his arms and looking back at Pitch, “I’m actually not too surprised you’re not in your lair. The others say you’ve been awful quiet these past few weeks.”

“Yes, well, that happens when I leave my home…” he deadpanned. 

Jack rolled his eyes, before suddenly climbing to his feet and picked up his staff.

“Well, thanks for the explanation…I guess,” he said uncertainly, before looking to Pitch. He pointed his staff at the Boogeyman and glared at him, “And if you do anything ot hurt her, I’ll turn you into a new handbag for her.”

“Dully noted.” Pitch said flatly.

Jack grinned, turning back to Tooth, “Well, I better get going. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”

“Thanks. I’ll walk you out.” Tooth said, getting up and walking out with Jack.

Once the door was shut behind them, Jack suddenly turned to her with a look of concern.

“Tooth, I know this really isn’t something that happens every day, but maybe you should tell the others eventually.” He said.

Tooth sighed, “And say what? That I’m keeping the Boogeyman here with blackmail and withholding his right to his powers?”

Jack shook his head, “No. I mean, I don’t know what you could say, but…I know secrets like this can come back to bite you in the butt.”

“I know…” Tooth said dejectedly.

Jack sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder, “Hey, it’ll be okay. Just try to think of some way to sort all this out without someone getting hurt, okay?”

“Okay…” Tooth said with a small smile.

Jack grinned back and said his goodbyes once more before flying out. Tooth sighed, watching as the frost sprite left. She looked out around her palace, noticing it was almost afternoon. Shaking her head, she went back inside the library to find Pitch.

“Have a nice talk?” Pitch asked flatly, flipping through a book.

Tooth tensed, suddenly wondering if his sharp hearing had picked up their conversation. But the Boogeyman only had his focus solely on his book, barely paying her any mind. She forced herself to relax, flitting over to sit by him.

“Yeah…” she replied.

A pause settled over them suddenly. Tooth began to squirm under the silence, yet Pitch seemed completely at ease. Tooth’s mind suddenly went back to Greenland, the two of them curled up under the aurora. It had been a wonderful trip overall. The lights had been, as always, beautiful, and everything had just seemed so right in the world. And then Pitch had…

Redness spread over her cheeks, and she pulled her knees up to her chest with wide eyes. Pitch had…was he trying to…kiss her? What had he been trying to do? And why did she not stop it…?

_‘Isn’t it obvious?’_ a part of her asked.

The sound of someone clearing their throat suddenly caught her attention, and she veered her head up to look at Pitch.

The Boogeyman regarded her coolly, closing his book with a soft snap.

“Does it frighten you?” he suddenly asked.

Tooth blinked, confused, “I’m sorry?”

“The others knowing,” Pitch clarified, “I can completely understand why telling them would be a terrible idea. But I want to know what goes on in your head when you think of them finding out.”

Stunned, Tooth turned back to look down at her knees, deep in thought. What exactly _did_ she feel when the thought of them finding out entered her mind? Terror for one. The Guardians were sworn to protect the world and each other from Pitch. If they ever found out she had, in a sense, betrayed them by harboring the Boogeyman, the consequences could be dire. And Manny – what would he think? Would he be upset? Disappointed? God forbid, would he strip her of her Guardianship? 

“…I get scared,” she said softly, “For you, for myself…it’s hard to really explain. I’m scared that I will lose the others as friends…I’m also in a way scared of what Manny will think.”

Pitch nodded, crossing his arms as he leaned into his coils, “You fear their judgment.”

She nodded, “I do…”

“Why though?”

“Because they’re my friends.” Tooth explained.

“But if they are your friends, why would you fear them or their judgment?” Pitch asked, giving her an odd look, “No one is perfect, surely they don’t expect you to follow every expectation to the letter.”

Tooth shook her head, “It’s not that simple…”

“Isn’t it though?” Pitch asked, “Tell me, if it were, say, Frost who took me in, would you disown him or be disappointed for his helping me?”

“No!” Tooth exclaimed, looking up at Pitch, “I mean, no. I…I don’t think so. He’s just Jack, he’d help anyone…”

Pitch was looking at her with a blank expression, but his eyes were steely and guarded. 

“And you wouldn’t?” he asked softly. 

Tooth didn’t have a response. It was as if suddenly her brain and mouth had rebelled against her. She honestly had no answer for what he had asked her. And yet, she did. She knew exactly how she would answer, but it completely contradicted what she had said before. 

Pitch blinked slowly, turning to look at the back wall.

“Perhaps I am biased, or my own logic is off,” he said, “And while I don’t support the Guardians in any way, shape, or form, I can say they would not abandon you for harboring me.”

Tooth blinked, staring at Pitch in stunned surprise. Although he wasn’t actively supporting the Guardians or their virtues and honor, he was…what? Trying to comfort her? To raise her confidence? It was so odd to consider this; usually Pitch would be doing the opposite to her.

“…you really think so?” she asked quietly.

Pitch nodded, “You Guardians are disgustingly loyal to one another. Well, mostly. It seems that if you are not a Guardian or not yet one, you’re always going to be under scrutiny…”

Despite his nonchalance, Tooth was painfully reminded of when they had assumed Jack had been with Pitch willingly that fateful Easter. They didn’t even give him a chance to explain himself. They had all been so caught up in their own grief that they did not once think that he had been tricked. In fact, none of them had even asked him what had happened ever. The return of their own belief had stolen all resolve, once again putting them back in their own selfish ways…

It had barely been one day where they weren’t believed in. And it was…so painful. So lonely. You could have all the friends in the world, but if no one else could see or hear you…

She looked up at Pitch. She had to wonder, was this what he felt like every day? It seemed to be a constant reminder to both her and him of how much she had, and he didn’t. And it also showed just how much Jack still had yet to gain from them. 

She was the Tooth Fairy; she gave back memories to the children of the world. They all gave something back.

_‘But not to those who may need us most…’_ she thought. 

She sighed.

“Am I a terrible person?” she asked.

“No,” was Pitch’s immediate reply, “Simply misguided. But you are anything but a terrible person, as much as it irks me to admit it.”

Tooth smiled slightly. Pitch was not a naturally comforting or encouraging man. But with all that he was saying, he was being surprisingly generous. Yet he was also honest. He didn’t sugar coat things, but he wasn’t so brutal and rude that you didn’t want to hear what he had to say. 

He was, under all his venom and sneering resolve, a good person…

“And truly, if you did tell them and they came bursting into my lair to kill me for ‘corrupting’ you, well, I wouldn’t have too many qualms.” Pitch added.

It was suddenly like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt lighter somehow, more free. There wasn’t that hanging cloud of tension over her head on the matter anymore. Pitch had actually _helped_ her.

“Pitch?” she started, catching his attention.

Pitch suddenly gasped and tensed, the fairy queen wrapping her arms around his shoulders in a tight hug. He jolted slightly when she nuzzled her face into the side of his neck, her smile felt against his pulse point.

“Thank you.” She said. 

She suddenly released him and sat back on her knees, smiling at him. Pitch was suddenly unnerved, his cheeks coloring that interesting shade of purple. It only made Tooth smile wider and chuckled slightly.

“Really, thank you Pitch,” she said, “I need that.”

“A pep-talk from the Boogeyman?” Pitch questioned, “Gods the universe is imploding…”

Tooth laughed, shaking her head.

“No, I mean…just…” she sighed, “Just, thank you. For listening.”

“No problem, I guess…” was the uncertain reply.

It grew quiet suddenly then, and the two sat where they were fidgeting, refusing to meet the other’s gaze. It wasn’t until a minute had passed that Tooth finally found her voice again and stood up.

“I…I better get lunch ready for us,” she said, brushing herself off as she stood, “Did you want anything in particular?”

Pitch shook his head, “Just something light I suppose.”

Tooth nodded, “Okay…yeah, I can do that. Um…I’ll be right back then.”

Giving one last meek smile, Tooth turned and flitted out the door, shutting it quietly behind her.

Pitch blinked owlishly, staring at the door in bewilderment. But no sooner was he staring at it, he was scowling at it. A low growl rose up into his chest, his scales rising as he turned to look at the window of the room.

He just barely caught sight of a shadow swiftly leaving the windowsill, and he felt his muscles tense as a foul odor invaded his nostrils. It was like wet dog fur and mold; like a dad dog left in the humid air and sun.

His mouth pulled into a thin line, eyes narrowing at the window. 

“I smell a rat…” he said.

He no sooner put back on his persona of calm when Tooth came back into the room with their lunch. 

To be continued…


	21. Chapter 21

Evening saw the odd pair once again cooped up in the library, though this time, there was a slight lack of conversation. Though really, with what they were doing, words would just make it that much more awkward. Or maybe it could fix the awkwardness? Neither felt like testing any theories.

Another small lock of black hair fell to the floor, the snip of scissors the only real noise in the room. Delicate hands ran through the steadily shortening black tresses, the Boogeyman having to use every fiber of his being to not just start shuddering at the delicate touch on his scalp. He sighed, automatically shutting his eyes as Tooth’s hand passed over his bangs to pull them back.

“Hey Pitch?” She inquired.

“Hm…”

“Do you…do you think I should tell the others?” Tooth asked, “I mean, I’m torn. A part of me wants to tell them about you for the sake of them not finding out on accident and doing something stupid, but another part of me is…well…”

“Scared?”

“Yeah…” Tooth sighed, snipping of a bit more off the ends, “I guess I’m confused.”

“Way I see it, it’s more up to you than it is to me.” Pitch said with a shrug.

“No it’s not! This is as much your choice as mine.”

“Not necessarily.” Pitch said, “This is _your_ home, and they’re _your_ friends. I’m just along for the ride.”

“No you’re not. I had…” _blackmailed you_ , went unsaid, but it was understood. Making a frustrated noise, Tooth set her scissors aside and picked up a comb from the pile of hair tools beside her. 

Eyes blinking open – and quite glad to not having his view obscured by those ridiculous bangs – Pitch looked over at Tooth from the corner of his eye.

“It does not matter how things happened,” he said with a shrug, “It happened, we can’t change that.”

“I guess…” Tooth said uncertainly, running the comb through his hair. 

“Why ask now of all times?” Pitch inquired, curious, “It’s a bit late to be reconsidering things.”

Good question. Why was she asking now? She should have asked herself these things the moment she considered keeping Pitch with her over the summer. The Guardians were all very familiar with one another, and had a tendency to drop by without a word. And it’s not like she had a doorbell. She enjoyed the familiarity to a degree, but it just seemed rude at times for a bunch of boys to barge into an all-ladies palace. It was a real miracle that none of them have dropped by suddenly, otherwise she was sure at least one of them would have found Pitch. 

Jack’s reaction to Pitch had been…surprising at best. Though at the same time, Tooth wasn’t all that shocked. Jack has very little history with Pitch, while she and the others had spent the majority of their lives fighting Pitch. Add to that, jack understood Pitch to a degree. He knew what ti was like to be ignored, cast aside, and just being invisible to all – including other spirits. Pitch’s solitude was greater though, far longer than Jack’s. He was even less than a ghost to humans, and even more of a monster to other spirits. 

Also, she highly suspected Jack had a suspicion about Pitch being with her. Baby-Tooth’s reaction to her when she told her of his finding out had been suspicious at best. She wondered if the Mini-fairy had been dropping hints to Jack once her ‘time out’ had finished. Vidya had only sighed, shaking her head before asking if Pitch was alright. 

It had been an overall strange last few days. But still, Jack’s words had struck a chord in her. Perhaps that was why she was asking Pitch of his opinion now…

She shrugged, “I just…Jack said that it would probably best-”

“Oh, Frost,” Pitch groused, rolling his eyes, “That’s what has you so worked up? Because Frost said it ‘would be best’?”

“Hey, he’s a smart guy,” Tooth defended, “But in a sense, yes, he’s why I’m thinking about it. I’d rather they know now then find out later on accident, and possibly hurt you, if not worse.”

“While your concern touches me, I can take care of myself.” Pitch said.

“Pitch…” Tooth said seriously, catching his attention, “Quit the macho act, you know as well as I do that you wouldn’t stand a chance against Sandy, let alone two other Guardians.”

Pitch quirked a brow, “You think Frost would not join in?”

“I really doubt it,” Tooth said, “He’s not the type to just join in a beating unless he has a damn good reason.” 

Pitch hummed thoughtfully, before Tooth set her comb aside and brushed some loose hair off of Pitch’s covered shoulders.

“There, all done.” She said, taking off the short cape around his neck. She handed him a mirror to see himself and see if it needed more trimming.

Looking over his reflection, Pitch blinked in mild surprise at how well she had cut his hair. There were some subtle differences – he still had a few loose locks her and there, giving him a more roguish look, and the spikes were held up a bit higher on his head; almost like her own crest…

“…you think you’re hilarious, don’t you?” he deadpanned.

Tooth only gave a naughty, yet innocent smile. 

Pitch rolled his eyes, dusting off any stray hairs from his neck and shoulders, “Thank you, I suppose.”

“No problem!” Tooth chirped, grinning widely. 

Pitch quirked a brow at her, not quite understanding why she was so happy all the sudden. But he didn’t dwell on it for too long. Women were strange at times…

But Tooth continued to smile at the Boogeyman, setting Pitch on edge.

“…yes?” he urged. 

“Hm? Oh! Sorry, nothing, just zoning out.” Tooth said, turning away with flustered cheeks. 

Pitch shook his head. Women…

A sudden knock at the door caught their attention, along with a high pitched chirp. Tooth quickly flitted over and opened the door, revealing a slightly frantic Baby-Tooth and Vidya.

“What is it Baby-Tooth?” Tooth asked.

_“We’re getting swamped out there, Tooth! Teeth are falling out all over the place!_ ” Baby-Tooth exclaimed, waving her arms.

“What? O-okay, I’m on my way!” Tooth turned to Pitch with an apologetic look, “I’m real sorry Pitch, but duty calls. I’ll be back later!”

Without awaiting a response, Tooth flitted out the door with Baby-Tooth, while Vidya stayed behind in the doorway. The spectacled fairy rolled her eyes, flying in and shutting the door with a soft click behind her. 

“Dare I ask?” Pitch inquired. Vidya shrugged, taking up her notepad and pencil.

_“It’s a busy week I suppose. Teeth are dropping left and right.”_ She wrote. 

“Ah…” Pitch nodded, “Well, I’m bored now. Care for a game of chess?”

_“You have to ask?”_ Vidya smirked, _“I’m going to beat you this time!”_

“You can _try._ ” Pitch mocked, slithering over to their chess board. 

Vidya rolled her eyes, before she settled on her side of the board – they seemed to have wordlessly established that Pitch would always get the black pieces. No arguments. That was _his_ team damn it. 

Ten minutes into their game found Vidya wanting to rip her feathers out. She was losing. Again. And while Pitch was smug about it, easily taking out half her pawns and most of her key pieces, he seemed to notice she didn’t seem all that into the game. She was playing, but she wasn’t acting as strategic as she usually was. Her moves were too quick, thoughtless even. At first Pitch thought she was just using a new strategy to confuse him. But judging by the slightly hazy look in her eyes, and how she seemed to be staring off between turns, he was sure her focus was elsewhere. 

“Something on your mind?” he finally asked, becoming both curious and annoyed that his chess partner was not completely in the game. 

Vidya startled, blinking wide eyes hazily. Her wings twitched before she reached for her pencil and paper.

_“Yeah, why?”_ she asked. 

“You are distracted.” Pitch deadpanned. 

Vidya sighed, tapping tiny fingers against her pencil. She seemed to ponder something briefly, before she once again took up the writing tool much too big for her, and began writing. 

_“Can I ask you something?”_ she asked.

“You just did,” Pitch said, receiving a sharp glare. He chuckled, “Go ahead.”

Rolling her eyes, Vidya flipped to a new page and started writing. Pitch could not see what she was scribbling onto her paper, but he noticed she was crossing out words just as quickly as she wrote them. She seemed conflicted, unsure. Normally this would amuse him, but oddly, it set him on edge. With all that’s happened between him and the residents of Tooth Palace, he honestly wasn’t sure if he wanted to hear what she had to ask. Chances are it was only going to end up with him being bitten in the tail. Again. 

Finally stopping, Vidya tore out the paper and held it up to Pitch. He leaned down to read the small script, eyes narrowing at the various crossed out words and sentences. 

_“What do you think about Tooth?”_ she asked. Pitch blinked.

“…what do I think of her?” he asked. Vidya nodded.

He frowned, “I don’t understand…”

More scribbling, _“I mean, what do you think of her?”_

“…she’s alright I suppose,” Pitch started uncertainly, “Disgustingly considerate, good cook I suppose. She’s a fairy queen, though I’m not too privy to her origins, and-”

_“No, no, no!”_ Vidya cut in, “ _I mean, what do you think of her as a WOMAN?”_

It was like someone had dropped an anvil on his head with her words. Written as they were, they could not have sounded more alarms in his head than if she screamed them in his ear. What did he like about her as a woman? What!?

“You’re joking,” he said, “Please tell me you’re _joking?_ ”

The Mini-fairy shook her head, _“Just tell me.”_

“Why do you want to know!?” Pitch would later cringe at how high his voice was becoming. 

_“Because I care about her and you!”_ Vidya argued.

“What does that have to do with anything!?”

_“Everything!”_

“You-!?” Pitch groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face, “What is this about? Where did this even come from!? Why ask me something so vile!?”

Vidya sighed, quite fed up with Pitch’s drama. She wasted no time in writing various messages on her notepad, seemingly predicting each of his reactions and having a message prepared for his responses. 

_“Look, I know I kind of sprung that up on you in a rather…uncouth manner,”_ she wrote, _“But I’m being serious. And I want an answer.”_

“Why? Why would I have to answer such a question? What could you possibly gain by asking me something so personal!?” Pitch snapped. 

A pause.

More writing.

_“A daddy perhaps?”_

CRASH! 

And Pitch was out the door – well, more knocked it down – faster than someone of his size should be capable of. Vidya blinked, looking at the torn down door. She’d only been joking, but perhaps it was a bit too much for him…

_‘Great…’_ she thought, blowing a loose feather out of her face. 

Well, at least now she could tell people she had scared the Bogeyman into nearly knocking down walls…

She paused as a high buzzing caught her attention, and she looked up to see Baby-Tooth peeking in through the door with a quirked brow. Seeing her sister, she crossed her arms hand giving her a pointed look. 

_“Care to explain why Pitch nearly mowed down myself and a few other fairies?”_ she asked, _“The guy looked like he was going to puke!”_

Vidya shrugged meekly, adjusting her glasses, _“I may have said something stupid, if not tactless.”_

Baby-Tooth blinked dumbly, before she suddenly became curious and flew over to her sister. 

_“You said something that made him knock down a door and flee across the palace like the sun itself was out to get him?”_ she asked, before grinning widely, _“Tell me! Tell me! What did you say!?”_

Vidya bit her lip, discreetly pushing her notepad behind her with her foot.

_“Uh…well I first asked him what he thought about mom,”_ She started, causing Baby-Tooth to cock her head curiously, _“Then he asked why I wanted to know, and I cracked a very tactless joke…”_

_“Which was…?”_ Baby-Tooth urged.

Vidya sighed, annoyed. Well, if it got Pitch to run away screaming like a girl, maybe it could deter Baby-Tooth.

She handed her sister the slip of paper with her last words to Pitch. Baby-Tooth looked down at it, before her eyes nearly bugged out of her head and her jaw dropped to the tabletop. 

_“You SAID this to him!?”_ she exclaimed, her grin so wide, Vidya feared she would split her face in half.

_“Okay, that was supposed to scare you off, but it seems to have had the opposite effect.”_ Vidya sighed.

_“Are you kidding!? This is great! I needed to find some way to get back at the jackass for threatening to eat me!”_

_“He wasn’t even going to eat you! He was bluffing!”_

_“I don’t care, this is gold!”_

Vidya stared with narrowed eyes at her sister for a brief amount of seconds. And before Baby-Tooth could reacted, Vidya grabbed the paper back and tore it into tiny, irreparable pieces. Baby-Tooth stared at her younger sister in disbelief. 

_“What was THAT for!?”_ she snapped.

_“You’re missing the point!”_

_“What point!?”_

_“He RAN! I asked him and showed him that stupid joke, and he RAN!”_

_“So!?”_

_“SO!”_ Vidya’s wings vibrated in agitation, _“He’s SCARED!”_

_“…again, so?”_ Baby-Tooth urged.

Vidya groaned, palming her face. She fixed her older sister an unimpressed look before explaining. 

_“Why would he run? It’s because he cares about what we think!”_ she said, _“And he cares, because he cares about Tooth! If he didn’t, he would have disregarded my stunt and probably even make some snide remark about me having parental issues!”_

_“…wait, do you have parental is-”_

_“BABY-TOOTH!”_ The named fairy shut her mouth, holding her hands up. Vidya slowly calmed, her feathers settling.

_“Look, the point is, is that I asked him because I think something could happen between them!”_ she said, _“But I couldn’t prove anything until I gauged his reaction. And I did! And we got positive results!”_

_“He would not have freaked out if those words meant anything to him, and he would not have bust down the door in a frenzy if he didn’t feel anything for Tooth! If anything, if he felt nothing for her, he would have made fun of me, not decimate a door. Tooth is easy to gauge, you’ve seen how she’s been. But this! This proves something can happen!”_

Blinking owlishly, Baby-Tooth slowly shook her head at her sister. What, the actual hell, was going on in her bookworm sister’s head? Where was all this crap coming from? It seemed to fall right out of Vidya’s mouth, but baby-Tooth was certain it was coming from somewhere else. It had to be. 

_“…you got into the ‘special’ nectar again, didn’t you?”_

Vidya wanted to scream. She wanted to _scream_ and _shake_ and _maim_ Baby-Tooth right now. She wasn’t seeing the whole picture, all the good this could do for them, as well as Pitch and Tooth. 

_“Baby-Tooth…”_ she groused, _“You cannot be oblivious to the looks she is giving him, or how she acts around him. Please TELL ME you’re not oblivious to it?”_

Baby-Tooth pouted. Of course she knew! But she didn’t think anything of it. Chances are Tooth just had a crush on Pitch or something. She liked him for his scales, he was good looking, he was a bad boy – there had to be something there other than that cursed ‘L’ word!

_“…you don’t want to believe it.”_ Vidya said in realization. 

_“Well of course not! After all he did? Why would I want him anywhere near Tooth, let alone in a romantic sense!?”_ Baby-Tooth snapped.

_“That was a whole year ago! You’re so damn stubborn, why can’t you just forgive and forget? This isn’t even about you!”_

_“Because I don’t like him!”_

_“…is this about Jack?”_ Vidya suddenly asked, completely serious. 

Baby-Tooth froze, eyes wide while Vidya crossed her arms.

_“I thought so,”_ she said, _“Baby-Tooth, mom told us that her crush on Jack was just that! A crush, nothing but an infatuation with his teeth! We all could see that, even before she admitted she had no romantic feelings for him.”_

Baby-Tooth said nothing, only glared at the floor stubbornly. Vidya sighed.

_“Were you really hoping so hard for them to get together?”_ she asked. 

_“…maybe.”_ Baby-Tooth muttered.

Vidya sighed again, running a tiny hand through her crest.

_“Baby-Tooth…I know you like Jack – a lot,”_ she said, _“But he’s not for Tooth.”_

_“And you think tall, dark, and gloomy is?”_ Baby-Tooth snapped.

To her surprise, Vidya shrugged, _“I don’t know. I just know no couple is perfect. IT’s not like those romance novels I read, stuff happens alt he time between couples. But I know Tooth likes him, and now I can be certain her likes her back. He just doesn’t want to acknowledge it.”_

_“But he’s still-!”_

_“Baby-Tooth…_ ” Vidya cut in seriously, _“When was the last time you saw Tooth so happy?”_

Baby-Tooth paused, as if considering. Tooth had been chipper and bursting with energy all week, if not the majority of the time Pitch was with them. Anyone else would say she was just being Tooth, but she and her fairies knew better. Tooth was virtually walking on air now, grinning ear to ear, and even shirking up her work. She never messes up during work. Which meant her mind was on something else – or rather, someone else. She was daydreaming, staring off and off towards her library, as if longing. You would have to be either blind or dead to not notice, and Baby-Tooth could not completely deny who it was her queen was thinking about. 

_“…it’s been a while.”_

_“You mean not since she became a Guardian,”_ Vidya corrected, _“And even that was short-lived as she got wrapped up in her work. She even stopped seeing the kids as the world got bigger and she got busier. She just didn’t notice until jack came along.”_

_“And now she’s back on cloud nine…because of a fricken snake.”_

_“Because of a GUY,”_ Vidya emphasized, _“And she’s getting worried.”_

_“About what?”_ Baby-Tooth asked.

_“Summer is almost over,”_ Vidya said seriously, _“Their deal stated he was to stay with her until summer was over. It ends in only two weeks, and there has been little progress between them. She’s too scared to admit anything, and he’s so scared of his own feelings he’s in denial!”_

Baby-Tooth sighed, mentally exhausted. But her sister was right, she could not deny that. Both Pitch and Tooth were a mess, but they needed to confront one another somehow. Even if it didn’t end in a relationship, it would be best if they at least got everything off their chest so there was no regrets. 

It was a mess. This whole thing was an emotional train-wreck. Baby-Tooth could not understand why Tooth could be so happy and confused all at once. If it were her, she was sure the confusion would outweigh any other feelings she may have. But she wasn’t the one in love…

_“…what do we do?”_ she finally asked.

Vidya shrugged, uncertain, _“I don’t know…I really don’t know…”_

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Breathe in…

…forget it, just _breathe_ overall!

Pitch groaned, burying his head in his hands. Currently, the serpentine Boogeyman was tucked away in an alcove in the deeper part of the library. Too far in for any Mini-fairy to wander, he was thankfully (or perhaps unthankfully) alone for the time being. 

It was amazing really, he was almost impressed – three panic attacks in under a month. He wanted to laugh. 

_‘I wonder if Frost would be willing to kill me if he stops by…’_ he thought. 

Sighing, he curled up further into the alcove, his coils nearly bunched up in a confusing array and blocking his torso from outside view. He must look pathetic, he thought. Hiding like a mouse in a hole, how degrading…

_‘Not as if you can’t fall any further, why not do this?’_ he thought to himself.

And really, why not just jump off a cliff too while he’s at it? Currently his brain wasn’t exactly in the best working order, but the haze of confusion and swirling emotions would clear up in a few minutes at best. He just needed to _calm the hell down!_

_‘A difficult feat, all things considered…’_

He could _not believe_ Vidya had said – wrote – that to him! What had she been thinking? Was it some kind of joke? If it was, it was a cruel and very unusual one. And not in any kind of humor he could appreciate. 

But at the same time, another part of him had contemplated what she wrote, and he openly snarled. He cursed the disgusting, beating organ in his breast. He cursed the damn Mini-fairy. He cursed Tooth! He cursed the whole damn world and the entire concept of human emotions! 

_“We are not human, but we have human nature…”_ he recalled his own words he said to Toothiana. 

Human nature…human nature was to be greedy. Human nature was to be selfish. Human nature – human emotion – was to find that special someone to share that greed with. It was a matter of balance, of finding that someone who you would never steal from, not cheat off of, and never hurt…

_‘But I’m not meant for such things…!’_

Says who? The Guardians? The Moon?

_‘Everyone! She even said so herself!’_

That was before she knew though…

_‘It doesn’t matter! I…I’m Pitch Black, the Boogeyman, I don’t have these disgusting feelings!’_

Then what is it then? What is that thunderous beating in your chest whenever she is near? What is this heat that ruses up from your gut and into your throat whenever she so much as looks at you? What is this strange, wonderful, terrifying feeling in your heart?

_‘I have no heart…’_

_“But you do have a heart!”_

Pitch startled, paling at the sound of that boy’s voice. He made a pathetic, animal-like sound in his throat, burying his face in his hands.

_‘I’ve never loved before…’_

But you have.

_‘That was different…it wasn’t as frightening.’_

…then maybe it’s time to conquer your fear.

To be continued…


	22. Chapter 22

Summer’s end was looming over Tooth like a dark cloud. Somehow, someway that she could not be too sure about, her time with Pitch was nearly used up. At best, or perhaps at worst, she only had a couple more weeks before summer ended and Pitch left. Though what exactly she was planning to do or say before he left still remained a mystery to her.

Well, no, that was false. She knew _exactly_ what she wanted to say. But knowing something and doing that something were two completely different things. For one, saying you would do it was easy. Saying you knew what you wanted to say was easy. Actually saying the words she so desperately wanted to voice was…well…it was one of those situations where running away screaming looked far more appealing. 

And really, she was coming _this close_ to doing just that. 

But no, she was no coward, and she didn’t exactly have anywhere to run to. The Guardians were out of the question, sans Jack. But either way, she had to confront this issue one way or another. 

But how? She’s never been… _in love_ before. She’s had crushes, infatuations, but it never ran so damn deep. At first it seemed like she had a small crush on Pitch, but now…no, this was something far more than that. No one had ever made her feel so confused yet so _right_ in all her long years of life. There was not a single person on this planet who has ever made her so emotionally confused. Her feelings were so conflicted towards Pitch, each one warring against the other as they tried to gain the upper hand. It was like mood swings on steroids!

_‘Mood swings…I wonder what would our kids look like?_ ’ she wondered.

Wait… _WHAT!?_

“Oh god…!” she groaned, burying her face in a pillow, curling up tight on her bed. Children! She was already thinking of children when they haven’t even so much as kissed yet!

She sighed, peeking out from behind her pillow. Well, that was partly untrue. Pitch had…come close to kissing her. Or had he? She honestly wasn’t sure. But she could recall how close it had been out there in Greenland. Under the true Northern Lights, her body held close to his, the way he had looked at her…romantic didn’t even cover it. No, that had bene pure _bliss._

But…did it mean he felt the same way, if not slightly? Or was it not on the same level as her? Pitch was a dark soul, perhaps he felt only lust or raw desire?

No, a part of her scolded. She shouldn’t stereotype just because he was of a darker element. And if it had been lust, you would think he would have acted on it by now. Pitch was a master of seduction, and so far, he hasn’t really played on any of his usual tricks. In fact, he’s been acting oddly subdued.

It’s been a few days, almost a week since they confronted Jack, and during that time, Pitch has been nothing but a rather pleasant guest. He’s been so quiet lately, as if lost in thought. They talked often, but it always seemed like he was guarding himself. There was a wall between them, and Tooth was trying with every fiber of her being to tear it down. But it seemed that no matter how many bricks she removed from the wall, twice as many more would appear in their place. 

He was scared, and was hiding instead of lashing out. That much was obvious. But what he was hiding from, Tooth could not be sure. Perhaps her?

That just…seemed so out of character for him. He was such an intense, charismatic man, it was hard to not notice him to some degree. And for him to put a wall around that charisma, that intense gaze and heated hands, it just seemed so… _wrong._

But even more than that, Tooth had begun to notice something else about Pitch over the past few days.

He was getting stronger. Healthier even. It seemed that with each day she saw him, he seemed a bit more energetic, a little more self-assured. He was even physically blooming right before her eyes. Where once lanky arms hung at his sides, the thin limbs steadily filled in with whipcord muscle and sinew. His torso had been something cringe worthy, but now he was slowly building back s more healthy silhouette. He actually had a build now, muscle tone and shape. His movements weren’t as sluggish, and his coloring seemed to have gained an eerie glow to it. The sharp angles of his face had long since filled in into pleasantly masculine angles. And his eyes – once clouded and dim – they seemed to glow like iridescent gold in a dark mine. 

But Tooth could not tell, despite his physical improvement, if he had gained any of his powers back yet. He hasn’t used any yet, nor has he bragged or expressed having used them during his stay. It was disconcerting at best, but at the same time, it relieved Tooth that he was physically getting healthy again. He certainly looked a lot better than he did before, and noticeably even more so than their last fatal encounter during the war. 

And it wasn’t like he wasn’t unpleasant to look at. He certainly had the right build to be attracting others now. Tooth was no exception. 

It both annoyed yet amused her, how easily she could almost swoon under those intense gold eyes. How with a single look, her very knees would feel like they could give out. Or with a simple call of her name in that accented, rumbling voice, her very wings could freeze up and she could drop right out of the sky and only hope to be caught. 

But she was already falling. Hard and fast, and she oddly did not want to stop. 

Face burning hot, Tooth buried her face into a pillow, and screamed into it, legs flailing.

_‘If this is a dream, I hope I never wake up…!’_

Meanwhile outside her door, Vidya and Baby-Tooth sighed, palming their faces. Their queen was an utter mess, and it was so painful just watching the once dignified fairy queen completely lose it.

_“She’s like a cat in heat,”_ Vidya deadpanned, _“She’s gone from clever creature to complete idiot.”_

_“…Vidya, you need to stop reading Shojo and get your head out of your romance novels.”_ Baby-Tooth droned.

_“I’m serious! This is getting ridiculous! They have no reason to be so…so…!”_

_“Embarrassed?”_

_“Yeah, sure, though I was thinking stupidly meek.”_ Vidya said.

_“Well what do you expect them to do?”_ Baby-Tooth asked, “Fall into each other’s arms, bawling their eternal love for one another and end the night in a sweet, passionate kiss that seals the deal?”

_“Pft, no, are you kidding? That’s for poorly written crap,”_ Vidya scoffed, _“No, I’m thinking more along the lines of setting them up somehow.”_

_“And how would you plan to do that?”_ Baby-Tooth asked, _“They’re so disgustingly shy around one another, it makes me want to be sick.”_

Vidya frowned, deep in thought as she considered their options. Right now, Tooth was on the cusp of climbing the nearest mountain that was not her own, and screaming her undying devotions to all the world – except Pitch. And Pitch, well…he was a man. He had no concept of the idea of love, and therefore he needed a bit of a push…or perhaps a shove. With a cattle probe. 

_“I mean, what? It’s not like we can just them up on some random date.”_ Baby-Tooth shrugged.

Vidya gasped, _“That’s it!”_

_“What? What’s it?”_ Baby-Tooth asked, startled.

_“A date! It’s perfect! We’ll set them up on a date!”_ Vidya chirped, _“Oh, we’ll have to get Juliet in on this, she’s the expert in these things, and we’ll need help setting the mood and location, and-”_

_“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down!”_ Baby-Tooth snapped, _“What? What do you mean a date? How the heck do you go setting two people up on some secret date!?”_

Vidya snorted, _“Oh please, it’s easy. You see it all the time in corny romance novels.”_

Baby-Tooth felt her brow twitch, _“Vidya…this is NOT a romance novel. How do you know this will work?”_

_“Because it’s Tooth and Pitch, how could it go badly?”_ the spectacled fairy asked.

_“How could it-!? EVERYTHING could go wrong!”_

_“Oh you’re so negative. Now come on! We have to get things ready for tonight!”_

_“Ready for what!?”_

_“Their date!”_

_“But I-!?”_ Baby-Tooth groaned, wanting to rip her feathers out. But nonetheless, she followed her sister out and towards the kitchens in an exaggerated huff.

_“This is never going to work…!”_ she said.

_“Never say never!”_

Baby-Tooth only groaned. Vidya beamed, various ideas and plans flitting through her head as she mentally mapped out her plan. Baby-Tooth continued to voice her concerns, but Vidya wasn’t worried. Right now was not the time to worry about possible flops. Now, she had to think of the positive.

She had a date to plan for tonight. 

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

Meanwhile, back in his nest in the library, Pitch was faring no better than Tooth…well, he was actually doing worse. 

What the absolute _hell_ was he doing? What was he going to do? This was ridiculous! It’s been days, and he was _still_ squirming and flailing over what Vidya had said to him – and it’s been just as long since he started avoiding the Mini-Fairy. 

_“A daddy perhaps?”_

Oh… _oh_ Pitch was going to be sick. He was going to be physically ill. He was going to start climbing the bleeding walls. He was not mentally mature enough for this! 

He groaned, burying his face into a pillow. Maybe if he depraved himself of enough oxygen, things would go back to normal. Ugh, as if. So far, things had gone from completely normal to pear-shaped. No one was scared of him, fricken _fairies_ wanted to be his friends now, and Tooth…oh _god._

_‘Kill me. Kill me now!’_ he thought with a pained groan. 

This was not right. This was _not right_. Oh god, he was freaking out, he couldn’t stop, this was just so _URGH!_

And the worst art is, is that he didn’t even know whether to feel pissed or elated! He didn’t know why he was inclined to feel happy for some reason, but he knew he damn well had reason to be pissed off. This just did not make sense to him, it didn’t compute! It was _not right!_

_Maybe it’s time to conquer your fear._

…as much as he hated to admit it, he could not run from it any longer. Pitch was _scared_. He was scared of these feelings, he was scared of all the fairy’s interest in him, he was scared of _Tooth_ of all people. He was terrified of his own god damn emotions, it was ridiculous. 

But then again, a part of him wasn’t that surprised. The only emotions he has found comfort in and has grown accustomed to were anger, rage, hate, and more anger. A bit of depression was in there as well, and apathy was virtually his roommate. And he absolutely _despised_ how confused he was. He shouldn’t even be so confused and frustrated. Common sense told him emotions outside of his norm were…well, normal. But he didn’t live a normal life. Oh no, he couldn’t have such a thing. Because normal meant stability. Stability meant sanity. Sandy meant he could have a social life. Having a social life meant _feeling_ , and _feeling_ was _dangerous._

“Ugh…” he groaned, throwing the pillow aside as he stared up at the ceiling. 

Gods he needed help. Possibly some medication as well. And alcohol. Definitely needed some alcohol now. Hmm, maybe Tooth had some somewhere. No way could she do such a high demanding job without some form of ‘special help’. 

Heh…Tooth, drunk. He had to wonder what kind of a drunks he was. Was she chatty like she usually is? Overly excitable? Frisky? Sensual…?

He blinked.

What?

_WHAT?_

“Son of a BITCH!” 

This was not happening. This could not be happening. He was Pitch Black! The heartless, feared Boogeyman! He didn’t fall in lo-…he didn’t feel lo-…he can’t feel lo-…

By the gods, he couldn’t even _think_ of the word. That proves it. He was incapable of lo-… _that feeling._

Sighing, the Boogeyman rubbed his eyes with the hells of his hands, dragging his fingers down his face in exaggeration. Looking down, he lifted his hands over his face, observing them curiously. They were no longer as bony and thin as he recalled them to be a few days ago. They were still thin, but not disturbingly so. Down his hands, his arms had long since filled out into healthy, slender limbs. He observed his black nails curiously, as if wondering just how they came to be that color.

He recalled his own reflection a few hours ago just after breakfast. He had asked Tooth if he could use her bath again, and she had – surprisingly – given him leave to use it. Provided he didn’t hog all of her bath oils and soaps. Apparently he used up most of what she had last time. But once he had finished, he caught his reflection in a large mirror just off to the side of a cooler pool. He had been surprised to say the least, if not curious. 

He almost looked like he had reverted back to his healthier physique since before the Nightmare war. Not completely better, and nowhere near his former self from the Dark Ages, but it was progress. 

But then suspicion suddenly came in and shelved his elation. Like most spirits, his physical appearance reflected how much power he had, and how strong he was. And it was with a startling clarification that Pitch realized his powers were coming back. And this realization raised red flags and many questions.

How was he regaining power? He could only be doing so if he was near sentient fear coming from humans, or beings similar to them. It couldn’t be the animals of the jungle, natural fears like those was not the proper fuel for his energy. He needed erratic fears, fears that seemed irrational, even illogical. Terror, on the whole, was the super-fuel that powered Pitch up in a snap, while smaller fears kept him running at a steady pace. 

It wasn’t the Mini-Fairies or Tooth, he would have sensed the energy was coming from them like musk or perfume. None of the fairies or Tooth were giving off any anxieties outside the norm. And yet, he was somehow still gaining power, when there was no other source nearby. 

Frowning, he glanced up at the window. No, that wasn’t true. He _knew_ there was something out there feeding him fears and anxieties. But what it was, he could not be sure. He could only assume it was some other spirit, as no humans could ever find Tooth Palace. But that only brought up another flaw.

For him to be gaining this much power, and so fast, it could not be coming from one person. It had to be coming from _numerous_ individuals. 

This put Pitch on edge – not that he was overly complaining about regaining some power, but he likes to know where it’s coming from. He had considered asking Tooth if there was perhaps some tribal village nearby, or perhaps some nomads passing through, but something had stopped him. He didn’t know why, but he decided to keep his mouth shut and figure it out on his own. 

Perhaps his pride really was too big for its own good…

Sighing, Pitch dropped his hands to his sides, is tail curling around his torso. This was getting too complicated.

“What do I do…?” he muttered to no one in particular. He almost expected someone to answer him, but unsurprisingly, no one did. 

 

So instead of dwelling on his confusing emotions, Pitch decided to try and figure out where this fear and energy was coming from. It was muddled slightly, like there was a wall between himself and whatever was creating this fear. And he couldn’t fully read just what it was. But one thing was for sure, he could tell that the overall fear itself was based off of one thought.

_Do not get caught…_

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

It was like the whole day had gone by in the blink of an eye. What had started out as a slow, emotional day, had suddenly passed the palace’s occupants by like a speeding car. One moment it was just barely morning, the next moment, it was nearly time for the nightshift fairies to go out and take their shift. 

Dusk was approaching at a slow and lazy pace, the sky tinted orange, yellow, pink, and purple at its darkest point. The jungle was alive with sleepy animals, the nocturnal creatures slowly waking from their day long sleep. It was quiet, the sky was dim, and the jungle was calm and serene.

It was the perfect setting for a date. 

“Vidya, I am not sure this is a good idea…” Pitch muttered, slinking through a hallway and to an unknown destination.

_“Oh come on, you need to get out and get some fresh air,”_ Vidya wrote, _“And besides, it’s not like we’re really going outside. We’re simply stepping out onto a balcony.”_

Pitch sighed, “I do not see how you talked me into this…”

_“I can be quite persuasive.”_

“Duly noted.” Pitch muttered. 

He sighed, crossing his arms as they traveled further down the dimly lit hallway, until they came to what looked to be a lobby of some sort. Pitch almost wanted to call it a ballroom, but just thinking about Tooth having such a thing made his scales rise and his jaw to tighten. 

The large, circular room was lined with wall length windows, one of which was open and leading out onto a large balcony. Indigo curtains were closed around most of the other windows, the door to the balcony the only real vantage point to seeing the dimming sky. 

_“Well come on!”_ she said, grabbing one of his fingers and tugging him over. Pitch sighed, letting himself be led to the balcony. 

But once outside, Pitch had to pause at what he was seeing out on the balcony.

A single round table sat at its center, set with a white tablecloth, one chair, and a vase of what looked to be orchids. A bottle of what he guessed to be wine sat in a bucket of ice, two wine glasses flanking the silver bucket. Candles sat in the center of the table, just barely lighting up the dim dusk. 

Pitch blinked owlishly, speechless. 

A moment passed before he turned to Vidya, who was grinning oddly at him, as if she couldn’t contain herself.

“What…” he started uncertainly, “Is this?”

Vidya only beamed, “Take a seat, it shall all become clear very soon.”

Whether it was because he was so dumbstruck, or he was mildly curious, Pitch complied and slithered to the side of the table without a chair. Wrapping his tail up into a neat spring-like coil, he settled back with crossed arms in front of the table, eyeing the wine in trepidation. What the hell was this turning out to be?

“So, care to tell me why it seems like someone is trying to set me up on a da-”

“I’m here! I’m here!”

Startled, Pitch turned to see a frantic looking Tooth burst through the door with Baby-Tooth on her tail. Eyes wide, she looked around briefly before she registered what she was seeing. Wings buzzing to a stop, she landed on her feet with wide eyes and a stupefied expression. She blinked dumbly, her crest twitching.

“Um…” she started, uncertain, “Wasn’t there supposed to be an animal stuck up here?”

Vidya looked over at baby-Tooth, quirking a brow. _That_ had been her excuse to get Tooth up there? 

Pitch, just as stunned by the sudden turn of events, slowly shook his head.

“No…” he said slowly.

“Oh…” Tooth said, a blush coming over her face, “So uh…what are you…doing up here…with that stuff?”

Pitch gestured to Vidya, “Vidya said she wanted me to come out here for some air, ask her why there’s-”

Suddenly the door to the balcony slammed shut, and the curtains dropped around it. The two blinked dumbly, looking around and noticing both Vidya and Baby-Tooth were gone. But there was a scrap of paper left on the table next to Pitch.

Picking it up, he unfolded it and read aloud, “Enjoy your evening together, we’ll be inside if you need anything. ~V.”

He stared at the piece of paper, while Tooth slowly looked over at the closed door. What…just happened?

“…I am getting a strange sense of déjà vu.” Pitch commented.

Tooth mentally had to agree, and so nodded numbly to the Boogeyman. 

“…so, will you let me break down the door this time?”

A pause. Tooth shook her head.

“…okay, so, now what?” Pitch asked.

Tooth shrugged, and Pitch frowned. Why was she acting so meek all of the sudden? She wouldn’t even look at him.

He crossed his arms, seemingly observing the fairy woman. She definitely seemed nervous. She was fidgeting with her hands, and her face was flushed red. He almost smirked at how she toed at the ground with one of her dainty feet; how cute.

Blinking rapidly, Pitch turned away, a purple flush overtaking his cheeks. Good god, how did the tables turn without her saying anything? 

“Um…” Pitch looked up at Tooth startled as she spoke, “I uh…um…you…”

Okay, obviously they needed to loosen up a bit. And what better way than with alcohol?

“I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink,” Pitch said, picking up the wine bottle, “You?”

Wine…alcohol…numbed nerves, incoherent thoughts becoming coherent, _god yes._

“Yes, please.” Tooth said a bit too eagerly. 

Not even bothering to acknowledge her skittish behavior, Pitch easily forced out the cork with a sharp claw, and poured a generous amount of the red wine into each of their glasses. Picking up the glasses, he handed one to Tooth and settled back into his coils.

“Cheers.” He said, taking a long draught.

Tooth swallowed dryly, pressing the edge of the glass to her lips. The spicy, bitter taste of the red wine slipped down her throat smoothly, burning her throat slightly. She cleared her throat, surprised at its potency. Where did it even come from? 

She shook her head, taking another sip. Wow, this stuff was strong, she thought. 

Across from her, Pitch sipped at his wine in leisure. It’s been quite some time since he indulged in any form of alcohol – he never had the time or resources. He was actually beginning to miss wine. Maybe he still had some still aging in the deeper parts of his lair.

He looked up at Tooth suddenly, quirking a brow at her.

“…care to sit down?” he asked, using the tip of his tail to push out the spare seat across from him.

“Hm? Oh!” Tooth startled, face flushing once more, “Uh, s-sure, yeah, I’ll uh…yeah.”

Shuffling over, Tooth sat down in her chair, nearly squeaking as Pitch pulled it back in so she was closer to the table. She set her glass aside on the table, hands fiddling in her lap. 

“…so…” she started, “How’s your day been?”

She wanted to kick herself for how stupid she sounded. But nonetheless, Pitch answered. 

“Fine, I suppose,” he said, swirling his wine, “I didn’t do much, mostly reflected on my thoughts.”

“Oh,” Tooth said, biting her lip, “What about?”

Again, why is it that her mouth was producing nothing but ill-placed words?

Pitch raised a brow, setting his glass aside, “Just things…nothing important.” 

Tooth nodded, deciding not to probe any further. It was quiet for a long while, both unwilling to meet each other’s eyes, and uncertain of what to even say. 

Cautiously, Tooth looked up at Pitch through the candlelight. He was looking out over the jungle, his eyes distant. She had to wonder what he was thinking about. His eyes were so intense, yet so guarded. His expressions were just as guarded, it was hard to gauge what was going on in his head. Pitch did not easily express emotions, not even unintentionally. 

She smoothed the feathers of her arms down, her face burning. She suddenly found her voice in a spike of courage.

“Summer is almost over…” she said softly, “What will you do? I mean, when you…when you go home?”

It was such an odd, yet casual question, Pitch had to mentally rewind and play back what she had said. He blinked dumbly, caught off guard. Though it was a strange one, it was a good question he had yet to ask himself? What exactly would he do when he left? Likely go back to his old life, he supposed. But what was his old life? What did it entail? 

If he were honest with himself – which he rarely was – Pitch had not even considered the day he would leave Tooth Palace. It never even occurred to him that he would get to leave eventually. It was odd, but somehow, Tooth palace had almost become lie home to him…

“…I am not sure,” he said simply, “Get my Nightmares back in order most likely. Experiment with them a bit perhaps.”

“Experiment?” Tooth echoed. Pitch nodded.

“I’ve been working out ways to better improve their…personalities.” Pitch elaborated hesitantly. 

Tooth nodded slowly, biting her lip. Well, she certainly couldn’t blame him. The Nightmares weren’t exactly well-behaved, or too loyal for that matter. Judging by the way their last fight ended, it wouldn’t be too much to say that Pitch needed to fix his Nightmares and their overall attitudes. 

Tooth took another sip of her drink, vaguely noting it was nearly gone from her glass now, and her head was just slightly swimming. 

“Will you…” _go back to being our enemy?_

It was unsaid, but judging by Pitch’s expression, he knew exactly what Tooth had been trying to say. He seemed to think for a minute, as if in deep thought. The fairy queen felt vaguely guilty for asking – or nearly asking more like. There was no way Pitch could give her definite answer now and on the spot. It wasn’t fair on her part; it wasn’t like Pitch could ask if she and the others were still going to beat his ass back into the ground if he put a toe out of line. If anything, she honestly would not know how to answer…

She looked up suddenly at the darkening sky. The moon would be out soon, and they would be in full view of it and its lone occupant. She had to wonder; could she maybe talk to Manny and convince him this was not how things should be? Could she maybe talk him into speaking to Pitch, just once, to resolve all that’s been going on between them? Could she do that?

“Toothiana…” Tooth startled, looking over at Pitch with wide eyes.

“Yes?” she asked, suddenly eager. Why was she so eager? She couldn’t honestly be expecting Pitch to _admit…_

He hesitated, staring at her with those intense gold eyes. It made her shudder, how focused he was on her, how utterly transfixed he was on her. It made a swell of pride flutter up into her chest, that it was her that could get this kind of attention from him, and no one else. 

Tooth waited with bated breath, her fingers gripping her glass a little too tightly. And when he opened his mouth, she sat up straighter in anticipation. 

“The scale…” he said.

Tooth blinked, her thoughts coming to a screeching halt.

“Huh?” she said dumbly. Pitch dropped his gaze to the little pouch she kept tied to her hip.

“The scale I gave you,” he said, “May I see it for a moment?”

Too stunned and confused to question the Boogeyman, she untied the pouch and fished out the little black scale, its front lined with a thin strip of gold from its crack. She placed the scale into Pitch’s outstretched hand, watching as he held it up at eye level, scrutinizing it. 

“What…what did you need it for?” Tooth asked. 

Pitch did not answer. Instead, he curled his whole first around the scale. Tooth startled, feeling the familiar hum of energy in the air coming from Pitch. Fist tightening, Pitch suddenly opened his hand. And there left in his palm was a pile of black dust.

Tooth almost gasped, wondering if he had destroyed the scale. But a quick puff from his mouth over his hand revealed the scale was still there, just buried under the black dust. He picked up a napkin from the table, rubbing it down a bit more, before he closed his hand around it again. He made a vague gesture with his free hand, and Tooth was shocked to witness a thin chain of shadows solidify from thin air.

“Its coloring might not suit you…” he said, fiddling with the scale and chain briefly, before he presented it back to Tooth, “And if you desire it, I can get you one of my more colorful scales.”

She looked down at his hand, a small gasp escaping her. That dust had not been dust. It had been the thick, relentless essence he had encased around the scale. But now, it was utterly gone. 

In its place, the scale was gold. Patterned over and around it were swirls and intricate patterns of glassy, obsidian black. Upon closer inspection, the patterns seemed to represent vines, with vague floral like patterns evenly distributed in its center and around the edges. The scale was so smooth now, and warm to the touch; like it was alive. 

And in a way, it was. This was what Pitch was under all his spite and venom. He was streamlined edges and sharp resolve, and yet, twined with all that darkness, there was nothing but a golden warmth. The little arrow she held was a part of Pitch – a real piece of him. 

She shook her head, awed, “No…no, Pitch this…this is _perfect._ ” She said honestly, smiling up at the Boogeyman.

He nodded, turning his gaze away shyly, “I’m glad.”

Tooth’s smile only widened as she cradled the little scale in her palms. And maybe it was because of the wine, or her elation, or perhaps both, but she wanted to give something to Pitch as well. 

“Close your eyes.” She suddenly said, startling Pitch.

“…why?” he asked.

“I want to give you something too.” She said.

Uncertain, Pitch seemed to take a moment to think on what he was about to do. But nonetheless, he relented, and shut his eyes. 

Tooth’s heart was pounding, and she clutched the scale to her breast, as if in reassurance. She calmly asked him to lean forward a bit more, and he complied until he was leaning on his elbows over the table, his eyes still closed. She leaned in closer as well, their faces mere inches apart. She studied his face, and a part of her longed to reach out and trace those creased brows, and dark lips. 

She almost did, her free hand unconsciously reaching for him. But she paused, before her hand reached out again and cupped a sharp cheek. Pitch tensed slightly, but his eyes did not open. 

Heart nearly beating its way from her chest, Tooth took a breath and shut her eyes, leaning in the rest of the way, her lips touching his in a chaste kiss. 

She was almost immediately taken back to Greenland, the Northern lights suddenly bursting behind her eyelids. She felt Pitch gasp lightly against her, before he shockingly leaned back into the kiss. 

Tooth pressed in further, her hand curling around his neck suddenly as their kiss deepened. She wanted so badly to open her eyes to gauge Pitch’s expression, but a part of her feared if she opened her eyes, the whole thing would vanish. No kiss, no Pitch, nothing. So she relented to keep her eyes shut, and the sensation of his hot lips on her own.

She never wanted this moment of heat and closeness to end. But sadly, she could hold her breath no longer, and so reluctantly broke apart from the Boogeyman with a gasp, cheeks flushed maroon. 

Pitch leaned back with a hard swallow, his own face flushed purple, even indigo in some places. Their eyes opened slowly, and suddenly the candles were their only source of light. It was completely dark now, the sky dotted with glistening stars. And as if heard by some unheard of god, the Moon was blocked out by thick clouds. 

Both swallowed thickly, breaths nearly panting as they tried to calm and regain their bearings. Tooth was clutching her scale tightly to her breast, unable to keep the grin from overtaking her lips. No words were said – no words could be said. 

But for Pitch, they needed to be said.

“I…” he cleared his throat, arms wrapping around a slender torso, “Toothiana, I…”

She watched him bite his lip, fingers squeezing thin arms. It was like he was physically fighting with himself over some unknown dilemma. She could literally see him wrestling with his own resolve, his eyes narrowed and jaw tight.

“Yes?” she urged, clutching the scale tightly.

“I…” he started again, “Toothiana, I…I lo-”

He froze suddenly, a pale blue light grazing his shoulder. Heads veering up, Tooth and Pitch looked up at the sky. And to their horror, the Moon was steadily breaking through the clouds with its Moonbeams. In perhaps a minute, the Moon would fully be revealed, and look down upon the scandal presented on Tooth’s balcony. 

She looked back at Pitch, who was openly sneering at the Moon in open contempt. She couldn’t blame him.

He suddenly sighed and looked up at her. His expression as genuinely apologetic, yet also relieved. He shook his head.

“I think I should go now.” He said, “Thank you for…tonight.”

He turned to slink away to the door, but paused.

“Wait!” Tooth said, suddenly standing as Pitch’s hand hovered over the door handle.

“…yes?” he inquired quietly, shyly. 

Tooth bit her lip, suddenly unsure of what to say. She stared at Pitch’s back, the Boogeyman unwilling to look at her. A part of his was disheartened, but another part of her knew he was just embarrassed. Or perhaps he was just as uncertain and confused as she was.

And instead of digging her hole any further, or risking Pitch getting caught, she resolved to let him of.

“Good night…” she said.

“…yes, good night, Toothiana.” He said, before he opened the door and vanished inside.

Once he was gone, Tooth let out a long, heavy sigh, shoulders slumping. Her fingers ran over the scale, and she looked up at the sky once more as the Moon fully broke out from behind the clouds.

She frowned, staring at it harshly. The Moonbeams danced and flitted about, some pausing around her, as if asking why she had such a sour face. But she ignored them, an instead focused on the Moon.

“We all need to grow up eventually, Manny,” she said softly, “Even you…”

She regarded the scale once more, a smile coming over her frowning lips as she traced a finger over its soft edges. Her heart somehow felt lighter now, calmer. Was it because she had kissed him? Or because of what he had given her?

_“Toothiana, I…I lo-”_

She gasped, heart fluttering. Had he almost said…? No, it couldn’t be, he likely wanted to say something else. 

_Or did he…?_

She shook her head, smiling at the scale. This was enough for now. There was no need to rush things. And although time was short, Tooth could only hope things worked out before summer’s end.

Sighing wistfully, she cast the Moon one last odd look, before she went inside to get ready for bed.

Up in the sky, the Moon flickered briefly, as if confuse by Tooth’s parting words and odd behavior. But its occupant paid it no mind; maybe she was having a bad day. 

Odd, one would think he would have noticed the glowing orange eyes of the monkey sitting in the tree overlooking the balcony. 

To be continued…


	23. Chapter 23

It was like watching a dizzying storm pass them by. 

The day after their strange encounter on the balcony, something had shifted between Tooth and Pitch. Just what it was, they could not fully name. All they knew was that things just seemed more open, easier somehow. That thick wall Pitch had put up around himself had crumbled ever so slightly, a hole opening up in it. And Tooth was able to peek through that hole and see Pitch for what he truly was, if only in just small glimpses. 

It was so calm between then now, that swirling maelstrom from before having calmed into a gentle, yet thunderous rainstorm. It was…surreal to say the least, how a single night could change so much between them.

Meals because times of eager conversation and timid observations. It seemed with each passing day, Tooth and Pitch were steadily finding new things they liked about the other, small traits they never noticed before. 

Tooth noticed that when Pitch was deep in thought, the very tip of his tail would flick and wave slightly, like a cat considering its prey. Pitch noted that Tooth had a nervous habit of biting her lip whenever she was feeling nervous or meek. Pitch, when feeling timid, would often cross his arms and hunch his shoulders, as if trying to hide himself. Tooth, oddly, seemed more easily excitable around Pitch, her feathers constantly shifting and flickering whenever she spoke to him in her animated voice. At first glance, Tooth thought Pitch’s nails were completely black, but she later noticed there were tiny, miniscule specks of gold gossamer in the dark nails. 

These, and so many more things were no longer going unnoticed by the two. And slowly, almost at a snail’s pace, they were shyly becoming closer to one another. A fire had lit between them, but both were still too shy and meek to reach out and embrace that fiery presence. 

Their days were spent usually just talking, often strolling around the palace, or even outside in the jungle for a change in scenery. Tooth was surprised to find how knowledgeable Pitch was on the local flora, often stopping to observe and name this or that flower or plant – many of which had healing properties Tooth did not even know of. A part of her was crestfallen though; Pitch likely knew these things because he likely used these plants to treat injuries. 

Her spirits were only lifted when Pitch nonchalantly offered her up an orchid – the stem was damaged, she might as well take it, was his explanation. 

She didn’t think he could turn such an interesting shade of purple from a simple hug. 

But like all good things, theirs had to come to an end.

And in the blink of an eye, summer was suddenly over. It had come so fast that they had to wonder if Father Time had gotten up to his tricks again and sped up their timeline. 

And it wasn’t until they were quietly having lunch out on the balcony, that it truly hit Tooth how close their end was.

“It seems my powers are coming back.” he suddenly said, startling Tooth.

“Oh…well that’s good.” She said, forcing a smile. Though internally, she was deflating.

Pitch nodded, “Yes, it is…” he said, “It means I will be able to leave soon.”

Tooth paused, looking up at Pitch with stunned eyes, “What…?”

“My powers. They are at a higher level now,” Pitch said, “I can teleport back to my lair now.”

Oh…Tooth felt her grip tighten around her drink, her lips tightening. She could feel something constricting around her heart, like dirt was being packed into the space between her ribs. She bit her lip, forcing a smile onto her lips.

“That…that’s great!” she said, “That’s real great Pitch, I…I’m happy for you!”

Pitch stared at her oddly, but made no comment outside a steady nod.

“Yes…thank you.” He said, probing his food with a fork.

“Yeah…” Tooth said softly.

Silence fell between them, and without another word, they went back to their meal. The food was tasteless, and their appetites were completely lost, but neither of them could say or do anything. They simply ate their meal in melancholic silence, neither meeting the other’s eyes. The sun over them felt too hot all of the sudden, the air thick and constricting their throats. It was to Tooth’s horror that she realized she was on the verge of tears.

Swallowing thickly around her food, she inhaled deeply and set her cutlery aside.

“I…I think I should get back to work.” She said.

She didn’t wait to Pitch to reply, and instead quickly got up and fluttered for the door. She was open to open it and leave, but stopped when Pitch called out to her.

“Toothiana…” he said, causing her to flinch, “I…will likely take the rest of the day to rest, and conserve my energy. You do no need to make dinner tonight…”

Lip quivering, eyes misting, Tooth nodded. 

“Okay…” she said, before she vanished into the large room.

Pitch remained where he was, staring after the fairy queen until she vanished down a hallway. Once she was gone, he sighed in defeat, resting his face into his hands.

“Fool…” he rasped to himself, shoulders shaking.

Unknown to him, Tooth had gone to her room, and proceeded to cry almost as hard as she did when her parents died.

** ~x~x~x~x~x~ **

Pitch had never slept so restlessly in his entire life. In all honesty, he didn’t need to sleep to build up his strength. He didn’t know why he had said he did. Perhaps he wanted to stay longer. Perhaps he just didn’t want to watch the devastation in Tooth’s eyes continued to fester. He honestly did not know – he really didn’t know much of anything anymore these days.

 _You are an idiot,_ he kept saying to himself. Why? Why did he have to say he had to leave today? He could have said tomorrow, or next week – hell, he could have just kept his mouth shut!

It’s for the best, he tried to reason.

How was it for the best though? To watch as he almost literally crushed whatever hope of happiness he had through Tooth? Was it truly for the best o literally feel how utterly crushed and devastated Tooth had become form his own words?

Pitch cursed his power of empathy. Though it was limited to mostly sensing fear and anxiety, he was not excluded from feeling other emotions from people if they were strong enough. He’s only ever felt negative emotions though, so he figured he was either numb or unable to sense positive emotions. And really, he felt the heartbreak from Tooth harder than he would feel the terror from a teenager getting caught sneaking out at night. 

It had been… _awful_. And Pitch felt awful. He felt terrible, and he never expected to feel such! He honestly thought things would break off as cleanly and swiftly as possible. But alas, he was likely asking too much. He, in a sense, knew it would end badly. He knew he would hurt Tooth when he said he had to leave. And in a way, he knew he was going to hurt himself as well. 

He just didn’t predict how much it was going to _hurt._

Teeth grinding, Pitch clutched a pillow to his chest, eyes screwing shut. No, he could not do this! It was for the best, it was for her own good. He could not get involved with her anymore; it was bad enough they established a sense of…what? Comradery? Friendship? He didn’t know anymore…

But the point was, was that he had gotten in too deep. He should never have let any of this happen! He never should have… _fallen_ for her…

_‘You idiot…!’_ he scolded, burying his face into the pillow – the pillow he wished would spontaneously become a head of feathers, or perhaps a soft and feathered shoulder. Or if he was lucky, a soft yet firm bre-

“NO!” he snapped, throwing the pillow at a lamp. The intricately designed lamp fell from its stand and crashed to the floor, its bulb shattered.

Groaning, he buried his face in his hands and growled to himself, that damnable organ in his chest pounding relentlessly. 

“No…I can’t do this! I can’t stay, I can’t go, what the hell is going on…!?” he rasped. 

He felt his lungs constricting, that familiar ball of panic dropping into his gut. Hunched in his coils, Pitch was starting to feel his very sanity disintegrate around him. That protective wall he had put up around himself was cracking, crumbling, and no matter how many cracks he repaired, twice as many would take their place. 

A shy knock at his door broke through his resolve, and he stared at it with wide, panicked eyes. Oh god, was it Tooth? Why? Why would she be here? He didn’t have the emotional or mental ability to handle seeing her right now.

_“Pitch?”_ a familiar chirp called.

Pitch breathed a sigh of relief, his shoulders slumping, “Come in…”

The door creaked open, admitting a concerned looking, glasses wearing Mini-Fairy. Vidya adjusted her thick glasses over her nose, closing the door behind her.

_“Are you okay?”_ she asked, _“I heard yelling.”_

Pitch sighed, “I’m fine, just…frustrated…”

Cocking her head, Vidya flitted over to perch on one of Pitch’s coils, crossing her little legs so she was sitting. Wings flickering, she regarded Pitch curiously.

_“What’s wrong? Why are you frustrated?”_ she asked. 

A groan, Pitch rubbing his face with a clammy palm. In all actuality, he was just grateful he and Vidya were still on good speaking terms. The awkward event from their last encounter had left him feeling vulnerable and downright frightened. But after some time to himself to sort out his thoughts, he honestly wondered why he had freaked out so badly in the first place. It was like when someone freaks out when they feel a spider crawling on them, but it turns out to be a piece of grass. 

“I…am not sure how I can explain…” he said uncertainly. Vidya nodded, cocking her head.

_“Is it about Tooth?”_ she asked carefully.

She felt Pitch’s tail tense under her, his scales rising ever so slightly. She watched his mouth tighten into a thin line, and right on cue, his arms crossed over his chest as his shoulders hunched. 

“Yes.” He said simply. 

Vidya was actually impressed. She was honestly expecting him to outright say no, or give a more neutral response. But he simply came out and admitted that she was on the right track. Which was very out of character of him – but then again, he’s been going through changes the entire time he’s been here. 

Vidya nodded, _“Did you two get into a fight?”_

“No!” Pitch snapped, as if the very idea revolted him.

Vidya quirked a brow at Pitch, causing him to slowly calm down. He sighed, scales coming to rest back against his tail. He looked exhausted, drained. 

“No…” he repeated, “I am…merely conflicted about something concerning her is all.”

A nod from the Mini-Fairy, her suspicions confirmed. She had figured something like this would happen; Pitch was no longer as confused as he had been about his feelings, but he was still apprehensive of them. Or more, he was scared because he did not know how to process and show these new emotions. Vidya would hazard a guess that Pitch has found people attractive before, has perhaps even held an infatuation or two, but he’s never felt such intense emotions like these before. And as was in his nature, his first reaction was to lash out. But since once couldn’t lash out at emotions, he resorted to brooding and trying to unravel the emotional mess just behind his ribs. 

So far, he was making little progress in understanding his own emotions.

Vidya had to wonder just how frustrating that had to be.

_“Is there any way I can help?”_ she offered. Pitch shook his head, rubbing his forehead.

“Not unless you can tell me how to control this infernal organ in my chest.” He muttered.

Vidya only offered a small smile. Poor Pitch, he was so lost yet he knew exactly what he wanted. He just didn’t know how to ask for it, let alone nicely or romantically. It was so odd too. He was a master of seduction, but he seemed to completely lose face when actual feelings came into play. It was honestly kind of cute; he was like a crushing school boy! 

_“Really, I can help if you like.”_ She urged.

“And how exactly could you help me in my situation?” Pitch asked in irritation.

_“Well, just think for a moment,”_ she said, _“If I were Tooth, and you had the chance to say anything you wanted to me, what would you say?”_

Pitch blinked, stunned. A part of him decided to outwardly ignore the fact that he suspected Vidya knew what his dilemma was, while the other had to wonder how she knew. But he could see her logic in what she was saying; practice makes perfect, and reciting what he wanted to say could maybe help him. Though only in that moment; the long-term effects of his words were still very much a big unknown to him. 

“…you honestly think this could work?” he asked, uncertain.

_“Of course!”_ Vidya said, _“Now come on, if I was Tooth, what would you say to me?_ ”

Pitch said nothing, his mind suddenly blank. What exactly would he say to Tooth? Get down on his…erm, knees…and proclaim his everlasting feelings for her? Come right out and say he lo-… _felt that word_ for her? Should he be a bit more subtle? Ugh, this could go wrong so many ways, and possibly go alright one of those million ways. 

Vidya, seeming to take note of the panic overtaking Pitch’s face, suddenly broke in.

_“Let me ask you a few things first,”_ she said, _“So you can confirm with yourself that you actually feel these things for her.”_

“Okay…” Pitch said dumbly. Gods, what was wrong with him?

_“Do you find her attractive?”_ Vidya asked, _“What do you find attractive about her?”_

Pitch swallowed, “She is…otherworldly. I…I honestly cannot describe her as anything other than that. She…she is beautiful. And I…”

_“No, no, focus just on her for now,”_ Vidya cut in, _“Now, what else do you like about her?”_

A shrug, “Everything I suppose. She is loyal, has a good head on her shoulders, though can be a bit out there at times. She’s fierce, protective, a brilliant warrior. She’s not just some pretty thing to be admired physically. She takes action when she needs to.”

Vidya had to admit, she wasn’t expecting that. But this meant they were far closer to their goal than what she was expecting. 

_“Okay, this is good!”_ Vidya said, _“What else? What would you say your favorite thing about her is?”_

Pitch rubbed his face with an open palm, “Is this necessary?”

_“Yes. Now spill.”_ Vidya urged. 

Pitch sighed, rubbing his temples. His jaw tightened as he seemed to take a deep interest in the scales on his tail. His fingers traced the more colorful ones where his lap would be, his fingers noticeably shaking. 

“Her eyes…” he said, so softly that Vidya had to wonder if she heard right, “They are…I cannot explain it. They are just so…”

_“Lovely? Thoughtful? Enchanting?”_ Vidya urged, her feathers rising in excitement.

“…understanding.” Pitch’s voice broke, “Nonjudgmental, they actually see me – she sees me.” 

Vidya bit her lip, wings vibrating. Oh god, they were so much deeper than she thought, and this needed to continue! 

_“And what does she see?”_ she asked a bit too quickly. 

“The hell should I know!” Pitch snapped suddenly, startling Vidya, “I don’t know what she sees in me, why she keeps me around, and quite frankly I’m not sure if I want to know!”

The Boogeyman dropped his face into his hands then with a miserable groan, falling onto his back in his coils. Vidya blinked, surprised. Crossing her arms, she flitted above Pitch so she was hovering above his face, scribbling onto her notepad.

_“What do you mean you don’t want to know?”_ she asked.

She was grateful Pitch actually made the attempt to read her message, but was no soon put out when he covered his face again. 

“Because I’m a _coward_ , alright?” he said in exasperation. Vidya rolled her eyes.

_“You’re not a coward,”_ she wrote, _“But seriously – are you so certain she thinks the worst of you?”_

“Look at me!” Pitch snapped back up, nearly slamming his face into Vidya altogether, “I’m a freak! I look like I came out of a Coney Island circus!”

He continued before Vidya could protest, raking his hands through his hair.

“I’m the gods damned _Boogeyman!_ What could I possibly offer her? A life in the dark on the run, constantly mocked and ridiculed for so much as _breathing!?_ ” Pitch rasped, “What could she possibly see in that, or me for that matter? She…she’s beautiful and I’m…it’s like expecting a butterfly to mate with a dung beetle, it does not _work!_ ”

He suddenly sagged, shoulders slumping and expression defeated. His hands came up to clamp onto lean biceps, a shaky breath leaving dark lips.

“And besides…” he said softly, “She would never choose me over the Guardians and the children. She will always put them first…I’m not worth her time…”

Vidya’s crest fell against her head, eyes downcast. Pitch placed his hands back over his face, his breath steady yet shaky. The Mini-Fairy flitted down to him, carefully landing on his collar. Reaching out, she gripped Pitch’s hand and lifted it up slightly so she could see his eyes. She held up her notepad, four simple words written on it.

_“Do you love her?”_

A pause.

…

…

…

“…yes.” 

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

The rest of the day went by faster than a blink – or so the residence of Tooth Palace would say so. The majority of the Mini-Fairies had long since heard or helped to spread rumors of the events and from others had overheard in the library. Apparently the doors weren’t very thick, and a large number of fairies had been pressed up against the door to Pitch’s room when he made his confession to Vidya. 

Too bad they couldn’t confess to Tooth for him. Pitch felt like his chest was in a pressure-cooker as he waited for Tooth to bring in their dinner. A part of him hoped she would skip out and go back to avoiding him. Another, more secret part of him hoped she wouldn’t. And some form of a neutral part of him was mentally shaking its head at him. 

The Boogeyman wasn’t too sure what had happened once he had confirmed Vidya’s suspicions. He suspected he may have fallen asleep, or perhaps blacked out. Because the next thing he knew, he was waking up in his coils and it was nearly dinner time. And he wasn’t sure how, but a duvet had somehow made its way onto his form during his sleep.

He swallowed, hands clammy all of the sudden. What the hell was he going to do now…?

Knock, knock, knock!

“Pitch…?” Tooth called from behind the door, startling him, “I brought dinner…”

Pitch swallowed again, his throat suddenly dry, “Um…come in…”

The door opened hesitantly, admitting the fairy queen carrying a tray into the room. Shutting it behind her, the fairy queen brought the tray over to their – when did it become theirs? – table. To Pitch’s surprise, there was quite a bit on the tray. Various cooked meats, steamed veggies, and cut up fruits – and was that a cake too?

“I know it’s a lot,” Tooth started, “But I guess I just…”

_Wanted to make our last meal together memorable…_

Pitch only nodded, “Thank you.” 

Silently, they tentatively nibbled at their food. Or more picked at it. It seemed neither of them had an appetite, their entire focus seemingly taken up by the snails-pace descent of the sun on the horizon. It was sad in a way, how they both seemed to dread the Boogeyman’s departure. Not even Pitch himself was looking forward to leaving. But…

It was for the best. It was for her. If he stayed, he would only bring her misery.

_‘Misery loves its company…’_ a part of him sneered.

He resolutely did not stab a piece of meat a bit too hard in response to the little voice. Placing the suddenly tasteless food in his mouth, he discreetly looked up at Tooth.

She…didn’t look well. Her eyes were red-rimmed and slightly puffy, as if she had been crying. But why would she be crying? Certainly not because of his leaving…

Well why not because of your leaving?

Pitch frowned, stuffing another ash-flavored piece of _something_ into his mouth. He wasn’t paying attention anymore, and the food before him, which looked like it was supposed to taste divine, was suddenly turning to dust as soon as it touched his tongue. 

_‘Because she doesn’t need me…’_ he thought.

Well how do you know? Have you asked her?

_‘Why the bloody hell would I ask such a thing!?’_

You know why…

Hand shaking, Pitch grabbed his water glass and chugged it back, somehow hoping he could literally swallow down and drown the voice in his head and end this whole thing. 

It’s not even a matter of her needing you – it’s that _you_ need _her_.

“Ugh…!” Pitch sputtered, setting his glass aside as he coughed into a hand, his chest tight.

Tooth looked up in alarm, “Pitch? A-are you okay?”

“Went down… _cough_ …the wrong…pipe…!” Pitch rasped, swallowing thickly. He gasped, taking up a napkin and coughing into it, his cheeks slightly purple. 

Tooth watched him in concern, her wings ready to propel her over to him if he needed help. The Boogeyman took in a deep breath as his airway cleared, drinking down the rest of his water as he calmed. 

“Sorry…” he said, his voice slightly strained, “I was lost in thought…”

Tooth nodded, her appetite now completely lost. Pitch also seemed to be no more interested in the food than she was. They both just stared at their plates, unable to – or perhaps unwilling – to say anything. But one of them had to break, lest more time passed them by and Pitch would have to leave the next time one of them blinked. 

“Pitch?” the named Boogeyman was startled by the way his name was breathed past pink lips, eyes wide as he looked up at Tooth.

“Yes?” he inquired.

Tooth fidgeted with her napkin, biting her lip. 

“I…” she cleared her throat, daring to look up at Pitch, “Did you want to go for a walk? Before you…leave?”

Pitch blinked, a bit confused. But once her words sunk in, he felt his once steel resolve ever so slightly crumble. 

“Sure.” He said simply, a bit unsure of what else to say.

“Great!” Tooth exclaimed halfheartedly, “That…that’s great.”

Gods, this was painful. Tooth could just imagine Vidya and Baby-Tooth, their little ears pressed to the door as they internally restrained themselves from bursting in and pushing her and Pitch together like a couple of dolls. She had to wonder if they were in fact outside the door, listening in on the pathetic attempt at talking to Pitch. Or perhaps ‘attempt’ was too strong a word…

When it became apparent they were not going to further indulge in their meal, Tooth collected their things and, uttering a quiet ‘I’ll be back’, Tooth left with the tray in hand to drop off at the kitchens. And as she had thought, both Vidya and baby-Tooth were waiting for her outside the door. They did not look happy. 

“Please don’t even start…” Tooth said, dangerously close to sounding like she was whining. 

The Mini-Fairies sighed, shaking their heads. 

_“Mom, you can’t just leave things like this!”_ Vidya said, _“You’ll regret it for the rest of your life!”_

Tooth sighed, flitting past them and for the kitchens. The Mini-Fairies did not let her off so easily, and pursued their queen easily. She set the tray on a counter beside the rather large tub of soapy water and unclean dishes.

_“Seriously, what even WAS that?”_ Baby-Tooth asked.

“I don’t know, okay!? I didn’t know what to say!” Tooth exclaimed, close to tears again, “I didn’t think this would be so _hard_ …”

The Mini-Fairies sighed, settled on their queen’s shoulders.

_“Of course it’s going to be hard,”_ Vidya started, _“But you need to fight through it. I know it hurts, but that will make the whole thing so much more worth it.”_

_“She’s right,_ ” Baby-Tooth added, _“And she’s also right in saying you’re going to regret not saying anything sooner.”_

“Well why can’t he say something?” Tooth groaned.

_“Because he’s just as scared as you are,”_ Vidya said, _“But he’s also scared for you.”_

“For me?” Tooth asked, confused.

_“Think about it. If you two got together, what would the Guardians, your friends, say?”_ Vidya asked, _“He may say he doesn’t care, but really he does. He’s scared he’ll alienate you from them, that they will resent you for being with him. He doesn’t say anything because he CARES about you.”_

Tooth swallowed, tears prickling at her eyes. Pitch…he _cared_ about her. He cared about her enough to both hurt and protect her. It was such a confusing, terrible thing to think of. It was so stupid, how things like this could somehow work their way into something that should be beautiful and exciting. 

She touched her fingers to the scale hanging from her neck. It seems like he had given it to her so long ago, and yet it had only been a few days at best. 

“What do I do…?” she rasped. Baby-Tooth placed a tiny hand on her cheek.

_“I know it sounds dumb, but I think you just need to tell him,”_ she said, _“It sounds easy, but when you come down to it…”_

_“It’s like you’re trying to swallow acid and nails.”_ Vidya said. 

Tooth nodded, wiping her eyes. She sighed, trying to calm her frantic heart and mind. This was ridiculous. This should not be so damn complicated! But it was, and in a way, it had to be. Pitch was a complex creature, and she too had her puzzling traits. No relationship, new or old, was simple. It seems like it should be, but it wasn’t. 

“Maybe you can somehow get him to admit it.” Vidya said suddenly.

“How?” Tooth asked.

Vidya frowned in thought, _“Something…you need to somehow show him that you don’t care what others think. You need to give him some kind of proof that he’s just as important to you as the kids and Guardians. That he’s not some secondary priority, that he means something to you. He needs to be given or shown something precious to both you and him.”_

Tooth frowned, trying to think. Something precious…she had to prove to Pitch that it was okay to admit what he was feeling, that it was safe. There had to be some way to show him that he was not alone, that she wanted him to speak out and say what was on his mind – no matter what it was. But what could she possibly do to prove to him that he didn’t need to be afraid? For himself, or for her? What could be so precious to both of them that he would…

Tooth gasped, eyes lighting up. Something precious…

What could be more precious than a memory?

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

As it turned out, their walk was not nearly as awkward as their disaster of a dinner. It couldn’t be called a comfortable silence, but it wasn’t overly tense either. And whether or not he appreciated it, their walk took place out in the jungles surrounding Tooth Palace. 

The only sound around them was the lazy chatter of distant animals, the soft brush of a scaled underbelly against the ground, and gently fluttering wings. The two had been wandering a trail through the jungle for the better part of a half hour now, the sky slowly tinging with warm colors of the coming dusk. And yet still, neither had said anything to the other. Whether it was because it was too hard, or they simply did not know what to say was a mystery. Perhaps it was a bit of both, or neither. 

Tooth tentatively looked up at Pitch, slithering beside her at a leisurely pace. He didn’t seem to really be taking in any of the scenery, rather he was just watching the dirt pass under him. Not that she was any different; her own feet had somehow become quite interesting to her. 

Almost in reverence, Tooth ran a finger over the thin leather strap at her hip. The tiny bag attached to it was partly hidden in her tail feathers, the strap itself obscured from sight by her body feathers. She could not gauge whether or not Pitch noticed, but she somewhat hoped he hadn’t. 

She sighed, feeling discouraged. What if this didn’t work? What if this was just another pipe-dream and-

“Toothiana…” 

The fairy queen startled, looking up at Pitch with wide eyes. The Boogeyman had stopped slithering about, and she seemed to realize that she had stopped flying as well, her feet planted on the ground. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, frowning at her sudden stand-still. 

“Huh? Oh! Y-yeah, I just spaced out…” Tooth said, cheeks flushed.

“Oh…” Pitch said, looking away.

“Yeah…”

Silence descended upon them once more, much to their chagrin. Pitch crossed his arms over his chest, looking to one side in what Tooth could only guess was feigned interest in a bed of flowers. Tooth took in a deep breath, looking skyward past the thick jungle canopy. It was nearly sundown. The Moon would be out once more, and before it showed itself, Pitch had to…

Clutching at the strap of her pouch, she pulled it off and held it in her hands.

“Pitch…” she started meekly.

Pitch looked over at her, his shoulders somehow both relaxing yet tensing all at once.

“Yes?” he inquired.

Tooth bit her lip, fiddling with the pouch. Pitch’s gold eyes locked onto it immediately, and he frowned in confusion.

“Yes?” he urged, slightly apprehensive.

Tooth swallowed, locking her eyes with his. It was now or never.

“I…I wanted to give you something.” She said, nodding to the pouch. Pitch blinked.

“Whatever for?” he asked. Tooth shrugged.

“Just…just because I guess.” She said.

“Okay…”

Tooth both wanted to laugh at Pitch’s expression and shake him by the shoulders. Take the hint already, her mind screamed. 

“Yeah, so…” untying the knot around the pouch, Tooth presented it to Pitch, “I-if you don’t like it, I totally understand. I wasn’t sure how you took to jewelry so…”

Frowning, Pitch carefully took the pouch and pried it open further. Reaching inside, his fingers hooked on something cool and metallic, and he lifted it out. 

It was a necklace and pendant. A simple, thin gold chain rested along his fingers, the metal – real gold he realized – cool to the touch. The pendant was a diamond shaped gold setting, and in the angular indentation was a diamond shape carved shard of obsidian. 

He frowned, noticing a speck of white impeded in the obsidian. Leaning closer to the pendant, narrowing his eyes as he looked closer at the white enamel. His eyes widened as he realized what it was.

It was a tooth – a baby tooth. And just faintly, Pitch could sense a familiar aura around it; the remains of a long forgotten soul that used to follow him like his own shadow.

He looked up at Tooth with wide, disbelieving eyes.

“Is…is this…?” he couldn’t even say it.

Tooth smiled, nodding, “That was his first and last baby tooth. I kept it all this time.”

Pitch could only shake his head in disbelief, looking back down at the pendant he now held carefully cradled in his hands. Both of which were visibly shaking, and he made a great attempt to ignore the sudden burning sensation behind his eyes. This…this little shard of that boy, the boy he lost so long ago…and yet it was _still here_. And Tooth…

He looked up at her, eyes glistening as he stare at her in reverence.

“You…you are giving this to me…?” he asked, almost daring to hope.

He nearly collapsed when she nodded, her smile growing.

“I am,” she said, “I know you’ll take care of it and protect it. Just like you did for the boy.”

Just like…this time, Pitch did collapse onto his ‘knees’, his entire frame shaking. 

“I…” he swallowed, his mouth dry as he stared at the pendant and Tooth in turn, “I do not know what to say…”

_‘Yes, you do!’_ Tooth thought, hands wringing, _‘You do. Be braver than me and say it, please…’_

Pitch shut his eyes, closing his hands around the pendant and pressing his closed hands to his chest. He released a shaky breath, his resolve slowly calming. He regained himself then, slowly rising back up into a more dignified position, still clutching the necklace in his hands. Yet he still said nothing, his eyes uncertain yet so very certain.

Tooth smiled, holding her hands out, “Here, let’s put it on.”

Hesitantly, already so protective over it, Pitch let the fairy queen pry the necklace from his hands and unclasp it. She flitted up to be at his height, her arms wrapping around him as she wrapped it around his neck and closed the clasp once more. Her hands slid to rest on his shoulders, her gaze looking down at the pendant hanging just along the center of his sternum.

“There, it looks great on you.” She said.

Pitch nodded, also looking down at the gold and black pendant. He suddenly looked up a bit more, locking eyes with Tooth, their faces so close to each other now. That vile organ in his chest jumped and fluttered as those amethyst eyes locked onto his. He swallowed, Tooth’s hands so small, delicate, and warm on his broad shoulders.

Tooth herself could feel her own heart fluttering, thundering against her ribs and knocking the very breath right out of her. Her mouth suddenly went dry, and her hands pressed against the hard muscles of Pitch’s shoulders, the heat of his skin seeping into her very bones. She almost gasped when she felt his large hands come up to rest on her hips, his large, heated alms nearly melting her feathers off her skin. 

“Toothiana…” he breathed, his once resolve lost.

“Yes…?” Tooth rasped, hoping, praying he would be braver than her and just say it.

“I…” Pitch swallowed thickly, his throat closing up, “I…I lo-…”

Tooth held her breath, her eyes wide and body nearly buzzing with anxious and eager energy. Please, she thought, please say it.

“I…Toothiana, I lo-”

_Snap!_

Both paused, heads veering towards the sound that had distracted them. Both frowned, a sense of unease coming over them suddenly. 

Tooth carefully pulled away from Pitch, fluttering closer to the darkness that hid the one who had stepped on a twig. She narrowed her eyes at a strange shape in the darkness. 

“Hello…?” she called.

No response, and Pitch frowned, scales rising. Something…something was wrong. And his energy, it was steadily increasing, and it was clearer now. This sense of fear, it was like a human’s and an animal’s aura. 

But there was only one creature in the world who could possess such a strange mix, and it was…

His eyes widened, and he blanched.

“Toothiana, GET AWAY-!”

_Smack!_

“Pitch!?” Tooth turned, watching as Pitch collapsed, the back of his head bleeding as he slumped beside the rock that had hit the back of his head. She gasped, about to rush over to him, but no sooner froze as an all too familiar cry rang through the air and chilled her very blood.

Monkey men. 

“No…” she rasped, frozen to the spot.

No sooner than did a hoard of the armed and dangerous apes leap from the trees, all screeching and circling her and the unconscious Boogeyman. Snarling, Tooth desperately wished for her rapiers, but could only stand her ground and hover over Pitch protectively. 

“Get back!” she shrieked as a monkey man made to grab at her. 

The apes laughed, and having her distracted, a group of them threw a large net over her. Tooth gasped and yelped as she was brought to the ground with a grunt, the apes tightening their binds around her.

“Let me go, NO! Let me…!” she grunted as she was thrown over a larger ape’s shoulders, and they began to scamper away with her.

“No! Let me go, you – PITCH!” she cried, struggling against her bonds.

“Ugh…” Pitch groaned, disoriented, his hazy vision just barely finding Tooth being taken away, “Toothiana…”

“Let me go! NO!”

“Tooth…” Pitch groaned, his vision completely blacking out, and his head dropping back down onto the ground. 

The last thing he heard was Tooth screaming his name. 

To be continued…


	24. Chapter 24

“-itch…Pitch…PITCH WAKE UP!”

A gasp, and suddenly the Boogeyman’s world spun as he bolted upright from his once horizontal position on the ground. He groaned and clutched his head, his eyes bleary and his temples throbbing. He hissed as the throbbing became a sharp pain in the back of his head, and he instinctively reached back with a shaking hand. He forced his eyes open, somehow finding the night itself too bright for his eyes, and brought his hand to his face. He cringed.

It was dry and more or less just a flaky mass behind his head, but he knew the sight of his own blood all too well. And the fact that it was coming from his head did not concern him in the slightest. 

Silver light beamed against his pale skin, and he glared down at his glowing arm. Cautiously, with the slow, dangerous precision of a cat stalking prey, he turned his gaze skyward. The sky was dark, dotted with pinpoint stars. And at the center of his vision, a large, full Moon glared down at him.

Pitch did not move, refused to. And yet he refused to break his gaze away from the damned Moon, its judgmental gaze. His gaze on the spherical rock was unbreakable, eyes narrowed as he seemed to try and search for the tiny speck of a man inhabiting it. As if his very gaze alone, once locked onto the Man in the Moon, would obliterate the stout man. 

“Pitch…?” a familiar, cautious voice called.

The Boogeyman miraculously broke his gaze from the Moon, eyes wide, as they locked onto Jack Frost, and the heterochromatic eyed Baby-Tooth fluttering at his side. He took in the frost sprite’s stance, his position and composure. His legs were parted, shoulders tense and staff clutched tightly in both hands and pointed at an angle at Pitch. Baby-Tooth was slightly puffed up, her gaze intense and almost questioning Pitch. Pitch tensed, his senses on high and his resolve steeling. Oh yes, he knew exactly what this looked like to them. He was the last person to be seen with Tooth, and he had been alone with her out in the jungle. Judging by the darkness of the night sky, they had been gone for hours, and likely Baby-Tooth had gotten worried and gone for Jack – the only one who knew about Pitch. 

And now here they were – missing a Guardian, Pitch injured yet the only one at the scene. He almost laughed.

Jack tightened his hold on his staff, angling it just so it was pointing at the Boogeyman’s chest.

“Where is she?” he asked through clenched teeth, eyes narrowed. 

Pitch hissed, scales rising. Gods damn it all, what the hell happened? Where was Tooth? Who the hell knocked him out!?

“Where is Tooth?” he asked – he knew he sounded like an idiot, but he needed to gauge Jack’s reaction.

“I think you would know!” Jack snapped, frost dancing up his staff, his stance tensing, “Now what did you do with her!?”

Pitch growled, his brain finally starting to work properly. Yes, he had been with Tooth that evening. They were walking, talking, and she…

Pitch reached for his chest, his fingers brushing against the pendant she had given him. He swallowed dryly, his head throbbing. She had given him the boy’s last memories of life. And he had thanked her, and…and he had been about to say those words. But then…

His eyes widened, his face blanching. He looked around the path they had been trekking, taking note of the obvious signs of struggle, the broken weapon pieces, the claw marks in the dirt, the footprints…

And a flash of gold.

Ignoring Jack, he turned and slithered over to a pile of scuffed dirt, bending to pick up the spark of gold that had caught his eye. He brushed away the dirt, and held in his hands the scale he had given Tooth, the chain broken. His mouth went completely dry as he stared at it, the last remaining shard of Tooth’s existence held in a shaking hand.

“Pitch! This is your last warning! Tell me what happened, or so help me, I’ll-”

Pitch paid the frost sprite no mind – it was as if his assailant did not even exist. His whole world had shrunk down to three things – the scale in his hand, himself, and the glaring Moon. He turned his gaze upwards again, locked eyes with the Moon once more. Although he never spoke to Pitch, somehow the Boogeyman was able to gauge reactions and read the Moon’s face like an open book. And right now, he was seeing quite a few mixed emotions, but the leading one was anger and accusation. 

And lo, how Pitch wanted to laugh at the irony of it all.

“They took her…” Pitch said, so softly that Jack had to wonder if he heard right. His gaze did not break from the Moon, making one wonder who exactly he was speaking to.

The frost sprite frowned, “What are you talking about? Who took her?”

Pitch felt his jaw tighten, and he turned to regard Jack with narrowed eyes. A part of him wanted to be cynically amused; he obviously did not know of Tooth’s past, nor of her sworn enemies. But now was not the time to pick at Jack’s obliviousness, and instead, he turned his very serious attention to an equally serious Baby-Tooth.

“She was taken,” he said, “By the Monkey King.”

Jack blinked, a beat passing between him. But just as suddenly, he doubled over in uncontained laughter.

“Oh my god! Hahaha! Are you kidding me?” he laughed, not noticing how Baby-Tooth seemed to pale, “Monkey King? Man Pitch, you’ve really lost it this time haven’t you? Tell me you’re joking! Hahaha!”

Pitch did not even so much as change his expression, though his eyes did narrow ever so slightly at the laughing frost sprite. Absently, he took note of how the Moon’s light seemed to flicker anxiously against his back, as if blinking rapidly in stunned shock. Really, it was more a matter of why he wasn’t the one laughing.

Jack soon calmed, giggling to himself as he wiped away a tear of mirth and looked back up at Pitch. His grin slowly fell from his face, his breath calming.

“You…you’re kidding, right…?” he urged.

Pitch said nothing, only held his stone cold gaze upon Jack. Uncertain, Jack looked up at Baby-Tooth, and took note of her pale face and tiny, clenched fists. Her jaw was tight, her lips drawn back into a tight line. Her eyes were narrowed, and she chirped inquiringly at Pitch. He nodded.

“It was just as I was…” he paused, clearing his throat, “We stopped here for a break, and they ambushed us. One of the little imps knocked me out. I can barely remember Tooth being captured and being taken away…”

“Wait, wait, wait, this…Monkey King is real?” Jack asked Baby-Tooth. The Mini-Fairy nodded, stunning Jack. 

“He is very much real,” Pitch broke in, looking up at the Moon from the corner of his eye – as if both acknowledging and disregarding it all at once, “And he is just as, if not more, ruthless as I am.”

“Well that’s saying something…” Jack muttered.

Both Baby-Tooth and Pitch turned to him with matching scowls.

“Do you think this is a joke, Frost?” Pitch asked, dangerously calm.

“What? No! Of course not!” Jack said, holding his hands up, “But…come on, if it’s a monkey, how much danger could she be in?”

Oh if only he knew…

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

Pain.

This was all that Tooth knew the moment she gained awareness. As well as darkness, and a strange, damp and earthy smell. It was cold, her feathers flattening against her body in an effort to trap the heat of her body. But with each breath she took, the chilled air entered her body, her lungs quivering in her chest with every breath. 

Moaning, the fairy queen willed her eyes to open just the scantest bit. She blinked, narrowing her eyes. At first, nothing but black spots jumbled and dance in her vision, blocking and distorting what was right in front of her. A few blinks later, the spots started to recede and clear, presenting her with a startling sight. 

Firstly, she was in a very large bird cage. This in and of itself was concerning. But it was what was inside of it along with her that put her on edge.

Pillows, silken blankets, a bowl of fruit, and on her body…she was wearing gold jewelry. Bangles inlaid with gems adorned her wrists and ankles, a thin belt dipping in a small V just below her navel sat on her hips, a large ruby inlaid in its front. A couple bicep cuffs clutched at her arms, and various rings holding different gems clutched heavily to her fingers. A strange feeling on her head caused her to reach up, and her fingers touched the cold golden metal of a vine theme diadem. And around her neck, was a thick cuff – of which was attached to a heavy gold chain anchoring her to the cage.

Probably worst of ours though, was her wings. They were bound, tied and weighed down by medium sized chains and grapefruit sized gold balls. 

She blinked, dumbfounded, somehow unable to take in the colorful décor, or even the gold gilt of the cage. All she could see outside of the thick bars were jagged stone walls; she was in some kind of cavern. She could hear the steady drip-drip of earthy water falling from stalactites, and the cold chill of the deep cavern breathing down her neck. 

She was in a prison. No matter the gold, the silk, or food, she knew this was a prison. Because gold or not, it was still a _cage._

“Well, well, well…” 

Tooth shuddered, her feathers rising at the sound of that high, scratchy voice. She knew that voice; she just often wished she would never have to hear it again in her life. 

The large, burly creature – neither truly man nor ape – stepped out of an alcove, where he was apparently watching her. His beady black eyes narrowed in mirth, his exaggerated maw stretching into a wide, gnarled smile full of missing, rotted, and twisted teeth. 

Tooth snarled, hands clenching into fists as she rose up onto her feet.

“You…!” she snarled. 

The Monkey King cackled, “In the flesh, and my, what a treasure he has caught.”

He laughed his grotesque, animalistic laugh – all high shrieks and low rumbles. It was like nothing anyone should have to hear, and Tooth could feel her skin crawling just at the very sound of the ape man. Hell, it was a curse to so much as be near him – his sight, his noises, his wretched _stench_ – it had her craving another’s presence; almost begging for it. 

The Monkey King continued to grin, approaching the cage and wrapping a gnarled hand around one of the bars. Tooth was slightly apprehensive of the fact that he still towered over her despite her standing up in a cage that was hanging three feet off the ground. 

“It has been centuries…” he rasped, his voice sending chills up Tooth’s spine, “And look how much you have grown.”

The fairy queen felt ill suddenly as his beady eyes roved up and down her body, as if mentally undressing her. Bile rose up into her throat, and she had the sudden urge to cover and hide herself. 

“What is the meaning of this you monster!?” she snapped.

He only chuckled, “And still just as fiery as ever. I thought you had perhaps lost your touch over the years…”

Tooth gasped, hands flying out to catch herself on her hands and knees. The chain to the cuff around her neck was yanked harshly by the Monkey King, forcing her down onto her knees and leaning in front of the cage. She hissed as he tugged her closer until she was pressed to the bars, her knees aching in protest. Her hands automatically went up and clutched at the bars, her teeth bared in a snarl up at the ape.

She nearly cringed as he loomed over her, his face so close that she could smell his putrid breath. A deep rumble reverberate from his chest, his wet nostrils flaring as he took in the captured fairy queen.

“Look at you. You have grown from a mere girl to a woman,” he said, his grin widening, “You look so much like your mother.”

Tooth felt her blood run cold, and her heart skip in various beats. She was far too stunned to retaliate, to reached through the bars and rake her nails over the hideous beasts’ eyes. And just as a roar of rage touched the back of her throat, ready to pounce from her mouth, she froze as he tugged her closer, and a large, hairy hand reached through the bars.

“Such beauty…” he rasped.

Tooth was paralyzed, unable to stop the Monkey King as he planted a filthy hand on her hip, his knotted fingers squeezing the delicate swell. 

“Exquisite…” his hand roughly dragged upwards down the hourglass shape of her waist, become coming around to press his palm into her belly. 

“Such a rare beauty…one would think you were a goddess.” He rasped,

Tooth snapped out of her resolve suddenly just as the Monkey Ming’s hand started to wander up towards her chest.

SLAP!

“Don’t you dare touch me you freak!” Tooth snapped, feathers flaring and arms coming to wrap around her chest. 

But the Monkey King only laughed, releasing the chain he held and shaking the hand she had slapped.

“Hehehe, still as fiery as ever,” he purred, “I like it.”

Tooth felt bile rise into her throat, and suddenly she was all too aware of her body and surroundings. Hyperawareness flooded her body, when all she really wanted was to completely shut down and become numb to the situation. But numbness would entail vulnerability, and vulnerability meant allowing the filthy ape in front of her to come in too close to her. 

“What do you want from me?” she hissed through clenched teeth. The Monkey King laughed.

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” he laughed.

“I can make a few guesses, one of them being how you want my head mounted on a wall.” Tooth growled.

But again, the ape only laughed uproariously, his bellowing laughter broken only by the occasional shriek and heaving rasp. 

“You think I want you dead?” he asked, grinning madly.

Tooth swallowed, “It’s what you’ve always wanted…” she sounded uncertain.

“Oh yes, perhaps at one point I did wish to hunt you and have your wings hung upon my mantle,” the ape said reminiscently, lacing his hands behind his hunched back, “But times have changed my dear. We all have changed…”

He leered down at her, the twisted muscles of his biceps twitching, as if he wanted to reach out and touch her again. Tooth was only too thankful he did not. 

“And you, you have certainly changed…” he rasped, beady eyes wandering, “You have gone from an annoying waif of a girl, to a beautiful, exotic woman…”

Tooth’s eyes widened, and she had the unsightly urge to press to the far back of the cage, to be af far away from this mad thing as she would be allowed. The Monkey King, seeming to read the sudden fear and disgust in her face, threw his head back and laughed.

“Hahahah! Look at you, the little lamb off to the slaughter,” he said, “Or perhaps the swan off to the axe.” 

He suddenly reached in and grabbed her collar, pulling her close until her nose was once more invaded with the mad ape’s ratty smell. 

“But you misunderstand. I would never bring unnecessary harm to you,” he said, “Rather, I come to make you a deal.”

Tooth snarled, but the ape only continued.

“You see, I have been watching you for quite some time now, and I could not help but notice how radiant and powerful you have become,” he said, “Your power, your cunning, your ability of flight, it all highlights your exotic beauty.”

“And I, lonely, tired of the hunt, thought to myself…” a pause, “Kings can become very lonely. And you would be utterly waste as nothing more than a trophy…”

Tooth frowned, his words slowly processing into her brain. But once they settled, and formed a coherent, blaring sentence, she could not help but pale in utter terror and disgust. She hissed suddenly and kicked the Monkey King’s hand away, shuffling to the back of the cage. 

It was like her worst fear come true – except she did not realize just how perverse the ape’s intentions ran.

The Monkey King did not want a trophy. He wanted a Queen. 

He chuckled, grabbing the length of the chain connected to her collar. But he did not tug her closer; rather, he was showing her just who had the control in the situation.

“I see my future queen is clever,” he said.

“I am NOT your queen!” Tooth snapped, revolted. 

She no sooner gasped as she was once more tugged forward, nearly knocking her forehead into a gold bar. The ape grinned, while the fairy queen snarled and gripped the bars in a death grip.

“I don’t think you have a choice my dear,” he said, “And what is there to lose? Look where you are! I could give you anything you wished; gold, jewels, the finest silks and furs. I could give you a life where you do not need to hide, a life where you need not hide and be limited to filthy children…”

He leaned closer, his putrid breath invading Tooth’s nose and nearly making her ill. The smell reminded her of wet animal carcasses and rotting fruit. 

“I could give you so much more than that filthy, shadow slinking Boogeyman…” he hissed. 

A ringing invaded Tooth’s ears suddenly, and she felt her heart jump between her ribs and plummet into her stomach. But her expression did not change. Rather, it was as if any and all emotion she could possibly feel had completely flushed from her face and eyes. 

The Monkey King cocked his head, curious, “Speechless my dear? Or perhaps my words have struck a chord…?”

Tooth blinked slowly, owlishly. And before the ape could question her further, she suddenly reached out and gently grasped his chin, tipping his head towards hers slightly. His grin stretched impossibly wide as she brought his face closer to hers, his hand releasing the chain as they came up to grasp the bars of the cage. Beady eyes wide, he leaned in as close as he could in anticipation, watching as Tooth’s lips pursed ever so slightly…

“Thewp!”

The Monkey King reared back with a cry, covering his left eye.

She had spat in his eye. 

Scrubbing at his eye with the heel of a hand, he looked up at Tooth with his one wide eye. She was glowering at him, her glare deadly, and her scowl not befitting of her delicate features. HE could only stare in shock for the longest time. But once what she had done registered in his brain, he openly snarled.

Tooth gasped and jumped back as the ape swiftly slammed a metal rod against the front of her cage, causing it to swing and shudder slightly. She panted, staring at the bar of raw metal as the Monkey king drew it back, baring his teeth at her.

“Insolent little bitch, you will pay for that…!” he hissed. 

“Just try to, monster.” Tooth snapped, “Do whatever you want, you won’t break me.”

The ape blinked, before he roared in laughter, strapping the rod back onto his belt. 

“Hurt you? My future queen? Never!” he said, “Oh no my dear, I have other plans. I know full well how strong you are, and how difficult it would be to break you with pain to yourself…”

Tooth frowned, not understanding. The ape chuckled.

“But I do know that hurting a certain few others will break you,” he said, “Say, perhaps, your fellow Guardians.”

Tooth gasped, eyes wide, “You wouldn’t…”

“Or better yet! That traitor, the snake-man who seems to have caught your attention,” he said, his snarl deepening, “Oh yes, I can imagine the wondrous pelt he would make.”

“Don’t you dare touch him!” Tooth screamed, rushing back to the front of the cage. She gasped as the bar came down again, the noise of ringing metal irritating her ears.

“Oh I plan to unless you cooperate,” the ape hissed, “I know the Guardians will come for you, and I know that snake will come too. It’s only a matter of time before they fall into my trap.”

Tooth snarled, her breath hissing through her clenched teeth. Her heart was pounding relentlessly, and for a moment she was afraid the Monkey King could hear it. But the ape only chuckled, waving the bar tauntingly. 

“I shall give you time to think on my offer,” he said, “Should you choose to cooperate and become my queen, no harm will come to the Guardians or the snake. Not much anyways. But should you choose to fight me…”

He poked the bar through the cage bars, and Tooth stared owlishly at the blunt tip, confused. The Monkey King grinned, and before Tooth could react, nudged the tip of the rod against her shoulder.

In an instant, pain flared and erupted from her flesh, her feathers burning away as she clutched her shoulder and doubled over in agony. A scream caught in her throat, tears sprung to Tooth’s eyes as the burning hot touch of the metal rod touched her skin, burnt feathers falling away like colorful ashes. Her body was paralyzed, unable to move away from the burning rod. And just as she thought she would pass out from the pain, she gasped as it was pulled away.

Panting, her hand shakily came up to cover her wound, hissing as her fingers touched raw and burnt flesh. She was shaking, eyes wide as she slowly, shakily looked up at what she had assumed was just a metal bar. But it was made of no ordinary metal, and it scared her so much more when she realized what it was made of.

Iron. 

A fairy’s worst nightmare, the very element that could burn a fairy to a crisp, poison their blood, and kill them slowly and painful. She had been warned about iron when she was very young, but had thought little of it since she was only half fairy. 

Apparently not even her human half was any form of a saving grace.

The Monkey King chuckled, waving the smoking rod in front of her, Smoke curled over the blunt tip, and the smell of burning flesh was making Tooth ill – or perhaps it was the pain. 

“A thousand years is a long time to think of a new plan,” he rasped, “And I have friends in high places. And it seems his words about fairies and iron was correct!” 

“You…you won’t get away with this…!” Tooth rasped. 

“Heh, we shall see…” the ape strapped the iron rod to his belt once more, crossing his arms over his hairy chest, “Well then, I shall give you time to think of your choice. Until then, enjoy your cage my dear. And don’t even try to think of escaping. I have guards posted everywhere, armed with iron. And these caverns are a labyrinth – you’ll go mad before you find a way out.”

“And fear not my dear, once the Guardians and that snake arrive, I will give you one more chance to change your mind,” he said, “But think carefully. The wrong answer could mean the difference of you becoming my queen, and having all their pelts lining my walls.”

With a chuckle, the Monkey King winked at her before he turned and vanished down a dark corridor. The sound of a metal door – iron, Tooth could only guess – was heard slamming shut, and a lock was clicked into place.

Silence descended on her. She was now alone, locked in a cage, and with the thoughts of the other’s impending doom on her head.

It was like a switch had been flipped. Suddenly her vision blurred as more tears flooded her eyes, her shoulders shaking, before she buried her face in her hands. She sobbed brokenly, her shoulder throbbing and aching. Already she could feel the poison of the iron starting to seep into her blood and into her body. Not enough to kill her, but enough to cause her pain and sickness. And within the next few hours, it will have spread, and she would be too weak and sickly to fight against anything that wretched ape could do to her. 

Never had she felt _so scared_ in all her life. She only time she felt this level of terror was when he parents were captured and killed, and she was left to flee to her fellow Sisters of Flight. But even those hopes were dashed. Now her fellow sisters slept forever in their jungle, now completely a part of it in the form of beautiful trees. 

Her chest throbbed, and as if seeking comfort, her hand reached up to clutch at her pendant.

Only, when she reached up, her hands did not find the warm little arrow against her chest.

Gasping, she looked down, patting her hand against her neck to find the chain. But it was not there – she had lost it. Or worse, the Monkey King had taken it. 

Her tears stung her eyes, and suddenly a pain bloomed in her chest, choking and throbbing in her throat. She shut her eyes tight, curling her hands against her breast, as if trying to imagine the scale clutched in her palms.

“Pitch…” she rasped, doubling over until her forehead touched the floor of the cage. 

“Pitch…! I said I was happy for you when you got your powers back…!” she sobbed, gritting her teeth, “That was a lie! I lied! I wasn’t happy, I was devastated! I didn’t want you to leave! I never want you to leave I…! I…!”

She keened, wings shuddering against their binds, and feathers pressing against her body. 

_‘I will not be his queen! I will not bend to his will!’_ she thought adamantly, _‘Pitch…oh god, if I knew this was the last time I would see you…I would have told you! I should have said something, I should have stopped you, I…I wish I could have at least kissed you one more time…!’_

A sob, back lurching as grief overtook her body like the iron in her blood. Tooth kicked away any and all of the pillows in her cage, refusing to accept anything the Monkey King had offered her. She screamed and swatted away the bowl of fruit, scattering the fruits and fracturing the clay bowl. Her nails tore into the fine silks, shredding and rendering the decorative fabric. She tore off the jewelry adorning her body, even clawing at the collar until even she had to give upon loosening it. Everything, she shoved it all to one side of the cage, and curled up on the cold, golden floor of the cage. 

Internally, she could only pray that they were coming for her. While just alongside that hope, was the despair for that hope. There was the desire and desperate plead that they were not going to find her and spare themselves the pain of being caught in the ape’s trap. 

She was so torn, desperately wanting them to find her. If anything, she wished it would be Pitch who found and rescued her. She did not want anyone else. She wanted Pitch, to be saved from this cage and wrapped in strong, ashen arms, pressed tightly against a feverish body. Those large, hot hands would fight for her, yet hold her tight yet gently. She at least wanted to hear his voice in her time of need, to see his golden eyes – the gold of her cage mocked her, a sad and poor attempt at imitating the gold of his eyes. 

He is probably still hurt, a part of her said. Or if he is not, he likely went back home…

_‘No! He wouldn’t! He…’_

He what? Would go to the Guardians for help? Does he even know where you are? Do any of them know?

_‘But…but I…!’_

It’s hopeless…

She sobbed, pulling her knees up to her chest, “Pitch…!”

_‘I lied…! I’m sorry…! I…I…!’_

“I love you…”

To be continued…


	25. Chapter 25

The Workshop was oddly quiet. Its workers had long since retired to their beds, the nightshift Yeti and Elves working silently yet diligently on their given tasks. The Guardians always found it both odd yet comforting, how the nightshift workers could be so silent yet work so much. Perhaps it was because there were fewer of them than the day workers. Or maybe the night simply had a way with living creatures, able to hush any sound that would disturb the glistening stars and the inky sky. 

And within one of the many lounge rooms, all but two of the Guardians were assembled and enjoying the quiet of the early evening. The only real sound that broke the silence was the crackling of the nearby fire, or the soft sipping of various drinks. 

But even that familiar sound is broken by none other than the resident Pooka.

“Oi, any of you seen Tooth recently?” he asked.

Sandy and North blinked, looking to one another from their respective armchairs. North shrugged, and Sandy only offered a few question marks before they both turned back to Bunny.

“No, I have not seen her since beginning of summer.” North said. Sandy nodded, also not having seen Tooth recently.

“Huh…she came to my Warren a few weeks ago asking for some medical plants,” Bunny said, “Any ideas why she would need them?”

North frowned, “Perhaps one of her fairies is hurt? Or sick?” he suggested. Bunny shook his head.

“Nah. The plants she asked for are best used to keeping a body functioning while unconscious, or even comatose.” He said.

Sandy raised a brow, forming more images over his head. North nodded with a slight frown as he read out the sands.

“Sandy says she came to him for some sand, claiming she was having trouble sleeping,” he said, “But…you say you are unsure of this was reason she needed sand?”

Sandy nodded, setting his eggnog aside. Bunny frowned, crossing his furry arms.

“She’s been acting strange,” he said, “She hasn’t stopped by to see you at all?”

North shook his head, “No. I had assumed she was busy. Summer is a very busy season for her after all”

The Pooka nodded, but still remained uncertain. Something was nagging at him, telling him something was off. And if he ever doubted anything, it was not going to be his natural instincts. He looked over at Sandy then, ears perking slightly.

“Any signs of Pitch?” he asked.

Sandy shook his head, forming an image of Jack flying over a hole, shrugging, and flying away. 

_Jack has not seen anything,_ he was saying, _And I have not seen anything during my rounds either. He’s been really quiet…_

“Too quiet…” North grunted. 

Bunny scowled, “Maybe we should check out his lair, see what he’s up to.”

“I am not so sure,” North said, “Jack says he has not seen Pitch around Burgess. He may still be recovering.” _Or dead_ , went unsaid, but it was implied.

“Frostbite’s been acting weird too…” Bunny said thoughtfully. 

North nodded, stroking his beard thoughtfully. Bunny was right; Jack has been acting…skittish, for lack of better terms. He spent the majority of his time in Burges and on the move, but he also spent a large chunk of time at North’s Workshop. Usually it was helping make suggestions about new toy ideas, but mostly he just liked to stir up trouble and get a few Yeti to chase him about. Or he was busy frosting machines, windows, or icing Elves. 

But nowadays, whenever he came to the Workshop, he was out as fast as he came in. He barely stayed long enough for North to greet him. It all started a few weeks ago, perhaps a month, when he came back from exploring Greenland. He had been heading to Tooth Palace to check up on Tooth, noticing her odd behavior as well. But when he got back to the Workshop, he barely disclosed anything. He simply said she was just busy, but not to worry, she was safe and sound. 

Oddly, the words had put the others even more on edge. 

“…I’m gonna go check on her.” Bunny suddenly said, standing from his seat.

“I am sure she is fine, Bunny.” North interjected.

“And if she ain’t? We’ve been sitting here on our butts for the majority of the summer, and she hasn’t once dropped by like she usually does to check in.” Bunny argued. 

Sandy waved a hand, catching their attention as he threw up various images.

_I want to check up on Jack and Pitch too,_ he said, _Just in case._

North sighed, setting his drink aside. Obviously a two to one vote was working against him. And maybe they were right; perhaps he could sleep better tonight if he knew if the others were okay, and Pitch was still buried in his lair. 

“Fine, fine,” he said, “Bunny and I shall go check on Toothy, Sandy, you check Burgess for Jack, and then check on Pitch-”

Everyone paused, turning to the far corner of the room. They stared at the large shadow cast by a chair and the fire, watching as it expanded and writhed. And before they could react, it had morphed into a black oval shape, and from its depths, spat out two people, plus one very disoriented looking Mini-Fairy.

“Augh!” the frost sprite did not have time to catch himself as the shadow portal opened and spat him and its creator out, “Ugh…that…is the _freakiest_ way of travel, _ever._ ”

He suddenly looked over at the pile of scales the portal had also thrown out, the shadow returning to its former shape against the wall. Baby-Tooth was flopped haphazardly over the mass of scales, her head spinning and wings flickering in a poor attempt at trying to get back in the air. 

“And you couldn’t make it a bit smoother? I’ve rode hurricanes that travel smoother than that!” he snapped.

The scales trembled, before a broad grey torso emerged from the pile, swaying and disoriented. 

“Do you have any idea how difficult it is teleporting two people at once when I’m so low on energy!?” Pitch snapped, willing his eyes to focus and the room to stop spinning, “I would love to see you try it and make it less bumpy!”

“Well if someone didn’t have such a _fat tail_ , I bet it could have gone better!”

“What did you just call me!?”

The Guardians blinked, stunned. At first, none of them knew what to say or do – or what exactly they were looking at to begin with. At first they thought that an Elf had spiked their drinks with something, and this was perhaps a hallucination. It would certainly explain why Pitch looked like a Naga, and why Jack had suddenly come out of a shadow with the scaly shade. 

But moments passed with the three doing nothing but watching Jack and Pitch argue. Nothing was changing. They weren’t vanishing, there were no spontaneous shifts in reality, and they were _not doing anything._

“-and would it kill you to put a shirt on? You’re gonna poke someone’s eye out!” Jack snapped.

“Coming from the brat that carries an oversized stick? What’s the matter, compensating for something Jacky-boy?” Pitch shot back. 

“YOU-!?”

“What the bloody hell is going on here!?”

Jack and Pitch turned, eyes wide and fingers pointed at one another. The three Guardians across from them had long since drawn their weapons, faces set into determined, yet very much confused and questioning, frowns. Bunny kept flicking his eyes between Jack and Pitch, as if he could not believe they were standing within feet of each other and both were still breathing. Or perhaps he was wondering how Pitch was still breathing when he was barely even ten feet from Bunny himself, boomerangs drawn and ready. 

But no one said or did anything. They all stood at a stand-still, as if not fully capable of comprehending or processing the situation at hand. And whether it was because he was growing impatient, or he simply wanted answers, it was North who broke the bleak silence.

“Pitch, what are you doing here? And what do you want?” he grunted.

“Better yet, why the bleeding hell do you look like _that?_ ” Bunny added. 

Pitch snarled, scales rising. Such a phenomena was strange to the Guardians, even Jack, who looked on with growing unease at the Boogeyman. If anything, his strange body had the other three even further on edge, their weapons clenched in tight hands, itching to be used.

North made as if to demand answers again, but Pitch beat him to it.

“I need your help…” he hissed – it looked like it took more effort to say those words than to stop breathing altogether. 

A pause, disbelief falling over the three Guardian’s faces like a veil. More or less, the disbelief was coming from the fact that Pitch was asking _them_ for help, and not at the fact that his pride had taken a serious beating from letting those four words pass his lips. The fact he was asking the guardians was a contributing factor, but it wasn’t the root of the issue right now. 

A beat passed, and before Pitch could snarl his request once more, Bunny started to laugh.

Pitch scowled, “Dare I ask what is so funny, Pooka?”

Bunny ignored the Boogeyman, guffawing at the shade as North stepped forward, his swords held tight in his large hands. 

“What is it you are really here for, Pitch?” he demanded.

“Are you seriously going to play this game with me, Nicolas?” Pitch hissed between grinding teeth. 

“Only if you continue to play with our heads,” Bunny snarled, recovering from his sudden bout, “Now what’s this really about?”

“Guys! He’s serious!” Jack broke in. The others looked at him in shock, disbelief painting their features. 

“What the hell are you doing with him, Frostbite!?” Bunny snapped.

“Will you just listen to us!? Tooth was taken by-”

Pitch held up a hand, silencing Jack. And with his other hand, he held up a necklace with a broken black chain, an obsidian and gold pendant hanging from it. The Guardians tightened their stances, uncertain of the item’s significance. But after a beat of nothing happening, they slowly lost a small amount of tension, but would not allow their guard to drop.

No recognition was visible in their eyes, which was unsurprising to Pitch. Though it would have been a bit helpful if at least one of them had seen Tooth wear it. Or perhaps it would have made things worse for him…

“Toothiana was taken, but not by me,” he said, his grip tightening on the necklace, “She was taken by the Monkey King.”

Stunned silence fell over the room. Even the sound of the crackling fire seemed to have muted, the flames now hushed and hiding within the logs and soot. Sandy’s whips swayed in the air with a soft whoosh, eyes wide and almost disbelieving. North looked very much like someone had slapped him, his sabers now limp at his sides. 

Bunnymund though, while stunned, no sooner took back his persona of anger.

“You’re lying!” he growled, “There has been no sign of that ape for centuries! He’s dead obviously!”

“Yes, and you thought I too was dead for some time now,” Pitch shot back, “You know what they say about assuming things.” 

“What proof do you have?” North asked gruffly.

“Aside from a gash in the back of my head and the necklace I gave her? I have none,” Pitch growled, “You can take my word for it or not, heaven knows I know you won’t right off the bat, but the fact remains is that she has been taken by vulgar animals that could be harming her right now!”

“He’s right you guys,” Jack cut in, “I found him unconscious out in the jungle just outside Tooth Palace. He looked like hell, and the area showed signs of a fight.”

“We want _proof_ , Frostbite.” Bunny grit.

Pitch snarled, “What more do you need!? We were attacked, and I was forced to watch as she was taken away before I lost consciousness!”

“Yeah? And how do you know all this?” Bunny snapped, “What were you doing with her, huh?”

Pitch wanted to scream. He almost did too, but paused when a tiny hand placed itself on his shoulder. He looked to his right, where Baby-Tooth was glowering nastily at Bunny, stunning the Pooka as she settled on the Boogeyman’s shoulder. 

_You have to tell them,_ was her message. 

Pitch sighed. And he relented. If it would get them to Tooth faster, he would tell them all he knew about his very powers.

He told them everything. How he had completely given out in his lair, why Tooth came by searching for a missing baby tooth, how she found him, took him in…he did not go into any major details concerning their feelings. But judging by the looks in North and Sandy’s eyes, he figured they had a good idea of how he felt towards her. Bunny was just stone-faced, a scowl seeming to be permanently stuck to his face. He explained how he had been at Tooth Palace the entire summer – he left out the part where he was blackmailed, and rather said he was just too weak to leave either way. Jack even jumped in at one point and explained how he found on about them. And although he was skeptical, he would admit Tooth and pitch had developed a…friendship…of sorts.

“A _friendship_ …” Bunny groused, “And just why would Tooth waste her time with a bloke like you? You ain’t worth her time or her trust!”

The Pooka somehow missed the slight wince of Pitch’s face and shoulders, the Boogeyman’s own insecurities awakening with a vengeance. But Sandy and North did not. 

“Pitch…” North broke in, his voice somehow both gentle yet firm, “Why exactly are you so worried for Toothy?”

Pitch’s breath hitched, but that single action seemed to confirm something in North. Without his having to say anything, North sheathed his sabers, and Sandy dissipated his whips. Bunny swiftly turned to them in shock.

“What the hell are you two-”

“Not now Bunny,” North broke in, crossing his arms as he regarded Baby-Tooth, “Little fairy, is what Pitch says true?”

Baby-Tooth did not even pause to think about the question. She nodded vigorously, chirping insistently with wild hand gestures. And although no one could understand her verbally, it was quite clear she was on the Boogeyman’s side. 

He looked to Jack then, “Jack?”

“Yes, I-”

“Oh for the love of-! We don’t have time for this! Now are you going to help me or not!?” Pitch snapped, scales rising, “The more time we stand around trying to figure out if I’m lying or not, the more likely Toothiana is going to be killed!”

North frowned, but had to mentally agree. If something was truly going on, then they were wasting time playing these games. 

He nodded, “Yes, you may be right. But do we know where she is now?”

Pitch scoffed, “Of course I know, I’ve had my suspicions for days now of something going on. I just never thought it was that ape of all people…”

“Wait, wait, wait!” Bunny broke in, turning to North, “You’re not actually going along with this are you!? He’s bloody insane!”

“He is our only lead,” North reasoned calmly, turning back to Pitch, “Where is she being held?”

“Oh no you don’t, you’re not getting information out of me, then locking me up while you go after her,” Pitch snarled, crossing his arms haughtily, “I’m coming with you.”

“Like hell you are!” Bunny snapped.

“Pitch, now is not the time to be-”

“I will not argue about this with you, North!” Pitch snapped, “You are taking me with you, and that is _final_.”

Bunny snarled, about to make another comment, but was stopped by a small golden hand on his knee. He looked down, wide-eyed, at the Sandman. Sandy shook his head, a gold olive branch forming over his head.

_This is not the time or the place,_ he says saying, _We need to think about Tooth._

Bunny snarled, marching over to Pitch and shove his nose in the taller man’s face.

“And just how do we know this isn’t some kind of trap that you roped Frostbite into?” he snarled.

“Bunnymund!” North snapped.

“You don’t,” Pitch shot back calmly, eyes constricting, “All you need to know is that Tooth is missing, right now in possible danger, and you are only wasting our time by tossing half-baked suspicions my way.”

Bunny growls, but North grabs his furry shoulder and pulls him back, approaching Pitch.

“Now can we help?” he asked, “Where is she at?”

Bunny makes to protest, but North’s beefy palm over his muzzle silences him.

“We need to go back to Tooth Palace,” Pitch said, “From there I can track the strings of fear coming off the monkey men and their king, perhaps from Tooth as well.”

He suddenly scowled, “If anything, I have a high hunch as to where they are…”

North nodded, “Right. Let us ready sleigh, and we shall set off immediately!” 

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

And not even ten minutes later, the Guardians and Pitch found themselves just along the base of the mountain that made up Tooth palace. Night had long since passed in the new time zone, and the sky was painted in an array of yellows and oranges from the coming dawn. The cool morning was eerie oddly, the jungle still dim and shadowed. 

The reindeer huffed as they were left at the edge of the cliffs supporting the palace, the Guardian and Pitch looking around with drawn weapons. 

“Well?” Bunny growled, “Where is she?”

“Do be quiet, Pooka, I am thinking…” Pitch said impatiently, eyes scanning the area. 

Bunny scoffs, but is silenced by a frowning Sandy. The others surveyed the area, while Pitch stuck to the side of the mountain base. Placing a hand against the rock wall, he closed his eyes and sharpened his senses.

_‘Now, where are you…?’_ he thought.

Mentally reaching out for random strands of fear was, on the whole, a very easy task. But with his powers leeched, it was becoming increasingly difficult the further and more frequent his senses reached out. It also was not helping that the other Guardians themselves were also clouding the area with their own anxieties; worries for Tooth, suspicions about him, overall apprehension – it was like pouring milk into a tank of clear water, clouding the liquid and hiding what he was looking for within the muddled mix. 

Growling, Pitch slithered further away from the Guardians, hand trailing over the rock wall as he pushed his limits further with energy he did not have to spare. 

“Hey, where the hell are you doing?” Bunny growled.

“I am _trying_ to find a strand of the Monkey King’s, or her, fear. It will make tracking her easier, like following a thread,” Pitch explained, before adding in exasperation, “It takes _immense_ concentration.”

At the new information, the Guardians and Baby-Tooth fell silent – or at least everyone but Bunny. They all stood in silence, fidgeting, as the Bogeyman ran a hand over the mountain side, his shadowy powers reaching out like probing fingers for any sign of what he was looking for. So far, nothing was sticking out; all the strands of fears he was picking up were standard animal fears, the Guardians’ own anxieties, and – ironically – his own worries. 

Minutes of blindly reaching out passed, the Guardians pacing silently yet anxiously behind him. They had to have traveled at least half the width of the mountain – or so that’s what it felt like. But even still, Pitch could only catch brief glimpses of out of place fear, but he simply was not quick enough to grab onto them. Either way, he wasn’t looking for any random monkey man – he wanted to find either the king, or Toothiana. 

He honestly hoped he would find the Monkey King’s fear first. If he found Tooth’s, it would mean she was afraid. To insinuate she was afraid would imply she was likely hurt. 

Or worse. 

Bunny, having grown impatient, eventually started towards Pitch with a brandished boomerang.

“Oi, snake-face, what the hell are you dragging us around the mountain for?” he snapped, “We should be looking for-”

“Shh…!” North, Jack, Sandy, and Baby-Tooth quickly shushed the stunned Bunny, carefully watching Pitch concentrate. 

Pitch tightened his jaw, a throbbing starting up in his temples. If he didn’t latch onto something soon, he was going to waste energy and all would be lost until he got another fix. And right now, the Guardians were in no mood to be afraid of him. He doubted they would even let their worry for Tooth feed him for a minute. 

_‘Come on Toothiana…’_ he willed her to give him a sign, a hint, anything, _‘Please Toothiana, talk to me, tell me where you are…’_

Where are you…? Where was it, that little strand of emotion? That aura, the color of emeralds and sapphires, and that smelled of orchids and exotic flowers. Where is it…?

_There!_

His gold eyes snapped open, and he immediately latched onto the strand of fear like a lifeline.

“I found her.” He said suddenly.

“You did? Where is she?” Jack asked, excitement creeping into his voice.

Pitch frowned, his fingers curling into a fist against the rock wall. Where indeed…

“Hey, he asked you something, Black.” Bunny growled, “What are you even looking for anyways?”

Pitch ignored the Pooka for the moment, turning to fully face the wall. His frown deepened further as he placed both hands over the stone and rock. Something was off about it – it felt unnatural. And its coloring was slightly off from the rocks around it. 

“During my stay at Tooth Palace, my powers spontaneously came back about a week ago…” he said distantly.

Bunny scoffed, “Well good for you, what’s that got to do with anything?”

“Everything. If you had paid attention, fear does not just come to me at will, especially when I am weak,” Pitch said, “Therefore, something within three miles that was human, or close to human, was emitting enough fear to power me up again.”

North frowned, stroking his beard, “So you think monkey men are ones who gave you back powers?”

Pitch nodded, “I am not sustained by animal fears, but apes and monkeys are close enough on the evolutionary line to be considered ‘human fear’. Add in the fact that their king was once human, it is enough to give me minimal strength.”

“So then you think they’re nearby here?” Jack asked.

“Yes, _very_ nearby,” Pitch felt along the wall, his hand coming to rest on a protruding, round rock, “And I recall Tooth telling me of an earthquake a few weeks ago.”

“So?” Bunny groused.

“So…” gripping the rock, Pitch cocked his head, “I realized that the fear slowly trickling into me was not coming from out in the jungle…”

Pressing on the rock, it gave in with a small click. And with a slight twist, another click was heard, and the rock wall rumbled. The sounds of mechanical parts clicking and moving was heard, and the Guardians jumped back in defensive postures as the flat stone suddenly lifted, and revealed a large cavern behind it. The rock stopped moving soon, locking into place as the mechanical movements settled. Pitch scowled into the darkness.

“It was coming from _under_ Tooth Palace…” he finished. 

The gaping maw of the cavern yawned at them, its dark depths illuminated by flickering torches and illuminated fungi. Stalactites and sharp rocks hung from the cavern’s ceiling, dangerous pointed, and dripping with mineral laden water. And inside would be an unknown number of monkey men, the Monkey king, and their stolen friend. 

They couldn’t get in fast enough.

To be continued…


	26. Chapter 26

_Drip!_

It seemed that with every drip heard from a stalactite, the Guardians and Pitch would freeze and scan the cavern to see if it truly was just water and not something more sinister. Each and every one of them were very on edge, their weapons drawn – sans Sandy and Pitch. Pitch because he barely had the energy to make a small dagger, and Sandy had to keep his whips to himself because their glow could attract attention. 

_Drip!_

Pause…move on. They had entered the large cavern not even five minutes ago, yet it felt like they had traveled the long, stony cavern for far long. The light of the entrance had long since vanished, the unblinking eye of blackness staring at their backs. It made even Pitch a bit uncomfortable; if for no other reason than because he was virtually defenseless. He kept mentally telling himself to save every shred of energy he had, even if he could not afford to spare it. Use it only when necessary. 

_Drip!_

The thread of fear that connected him to Tooth was flickering, vanishing for a moment, then reappearing before Pitch could panic. Each time the thread vanished from sight, his heart dropped into his stomach. And every time it reappeared, his worry only deepened. 

It only reached a new time low when, just at the end of the corridor, they all came to a fork in the road. A fork with five different tunnels, to be precise. 

While Pitch tried to ignore the throbbing in his head, and the shadows at the edges of his vision – or were they black spots? – Bunny pinned his ears back and crossed his arms.

“Well? Now what?” he growled.

“Hush…” Pitch said flatly. He was grateful Sandy managed to shut up any snide remarks from the Pooka at that moment, “I am trying to pick up her trace again…”

The others fell silent for but a moment, and was broken by Jack.

“We can’t just wait around though,” he said quietly, “Can’t we just split up?”

“And leave the freak to find Tooth and do Moon knows what to her?” Bunny groused, “Maybe set a trap for us? Hell no.”

“Though I doubt any of that will happen, Bunny is right,” North said, sliding a disapproving glance at Bunny, “Is too dangerous, and monkey men are crafty. They might even be expecting us.”

“I have a feeling they are…” Pitch said thoughtfully, catching their attention, “There is a heavy sense of apprehension and anxiety in the air; not unlike the anxiety of a secret threatened to be exposed.”

“So we just waltzed right in here, with you knowing this was going to be a trap, and you didn’t _tell us!?_ ” Bunny snapped.

“Do you have any better suggestions you overgrown hairball!?” Pitch suddenly snapped, startling the others. 

Bunny didn’t answer, if for no other reason than he was now slightly intimidated by the serpentine man. The Boogeyman fixed the Pooka an ugly scowl, but no sooner turned to focus back on the various tunnels. He shut his eyes to try and get a stronger grasp on Tooth’s fears, and therefore tell them which tunnel to take. 

But her thread kept flickering in and out of his sight. And each time it went out, it stayed out a second longer than last time. He could only guess that Tooth was awake, and simply falling in and out of consciousness. The thought made his blood boil and his fists clench.

_‘Show me, Toothiana…’_ he urge mentally, _‘Please, show me where you are…’_

Against his better judgment, he mentally reached out further. Immediately his head throbbed, a sharp heated pain slamming against the inside of his skull like a mad bull. He cringed, groaning as he hunched slightly. He vaguely heard North – or was it Jack? He honestly could not tell with the ringing in his ears – ask if he was alright, but he ignored them. 

_‘Come on Toothiana, just one little spark, something!’_ he mentally shouted, as if hoping she could hear him.

And for once, his pleas were answered. 

“This way!” he suddenly said, bolting down the first left tunnel – he did not want to lose that spark again, and he’d be damned if he stood by and waited for the Guardians to collect themselves. 

He ignored what he guessed was Jack’s calls to slow down – was he even going that fast? Whatever, he didn’t care! He had to get to Tooth before she vanished from his senses again!

At any other time, he would have congratulated himself for nearly losing the Guardians a good number of times. His body made winding and turning down corridors no problem whatsoever. Pitch didn’t even realize how fast he was sailing down the tunnels, his sole focus being on that last little strand of Tooth. 

Turning a corner, he suddenly screeched to a stop, his coils scraping painfully on the stone floor. He stared at head, unmoving, just as the Guardians came tumbling in behind him.

“Pitch! You cannot be running off like that!” North snapped, but no sooner he paused as well at what was in front of them. 

It was a door. A metal door, sealed tight with a very large, clunky padlock and equally heavy chains. The others, sans Jack, tensed as they took note of the door, fur rising and gold brows drawing together. Jack though, seemed a bit confused as to why they were not breaking it down and going in if they had to. He looked to North and the door in turn, finally speaking.

“So…why are we staring at the door?” he asked. Pitch scowled at the door, fists tightening.

“It is not the door itself that concerns us, it is what it is _made_ of.” He said.

Jack frowned, “Meaning…?”

“It’s iron you dill.” Bunny growled, fur bristling. 

“…so?”

Pitch spun on them all suddenly, startling the Guardians, “Have you told the sprite _nothing_ of our world? Not even the most common knowledge?”

North suddenly seemed meek, “We assumed he knew, and it never came up…”

Pitch rolled his eyes, “Once more with the assuming…” he looked to Jack then, eyes narrowed.

“Iron to a fairy is what fire is to you,” he said heatedly, “Fairies cannot touch iron without being burnt or poisoned. Enough iron can even kill a fairy!” 

Jack looked on with increasingly widened eyes, his body suddenly tense as the information sunk in. His pale complexion had somehow become even paler, and he eyed the door in open apprehension.

“Does…does that mean she’s…?” he couldn’t say it. And to his relief, Pitch shook his head.

“I can sense her, but she is very weak,” he said, “If the door is iron, and the monkey men know how to utilize it against her, I can only assume she’s hurt.”

“Well then what are we waiting for!? Pick the lock and-”

_BANG!_

The Guardians cringe jumping slightly at the loud impact. They watched in stunned shock as Pitch rolled his tails into a coiled arch, then threw it against the door like a swiftly uncoiling whip. They cringed again as he recoiled and threw the bulk of his tail at the door again.

“Pitch! Stop! Someone will hear us!” North yelled over the loud impact of scales on iron.

But Pitch ignored the Cossack, and continued his merciless assault on the poor. It was visibly bending inwards, its center caving in. The Boogeyman was relentless, uncaring of a single monkey man, or even the whole army, heard him. His brain was focused completely on getting that door down and getting to Tooth. Nothing else matter – not the other Guardians, not the monkey men, not the Monkey King, not even himself. 

The Guardians could only watch dumbly as the Boogeyman pummeled the iron door. And not even a minute later, with one last impact, the door broke down with a high pitched whine and crash. Pitch didn’t even wait for the Guardians to say anything before he was slithering inside, his tail disappearing into the threshold. 

Shaking their heads, they rushed inside after Pitch, and were confronted with a disturbing sight. 

The inside of the chamber was small, reminiscent of a storage closet carved from the stone of the cavern. A few crates of unknown supplies sat stacked to one side of the cavern, and what appeared to be a pile of scrap metal – iron – in the corner. 

And just in the back of the cavern, was a gold cage.

And Tooth was inside it. 

The others gasped and rushed up to the oversized cage. All five nearly crashed headlong into the hanging cage, hands gripping the gold bars as they stared inside at its occupant. Tooth looked feverish, her body curled up tightly on the cage floor. Her wings were tightly bound in chains and locks – a sickening sight to all five of them. 

“Oh god, Tooth…” Jack rasped, eyes wide in disbelief.

North was virtually searing beside the frost sprite, his cheeks red and brows drawn into dangerously tight arcs. Growling, he pushed the others aside and raised a sword for the lock of the cage.

“Stand back!” he said, raising the sword – but it seemed he had no need to. 

“Move.” Was the dangerously low grow, a clawed hand suddenly grabbing North’s coat and yanking him back.

Cursing, North was about to snap at Pitch for interfering, but froze as the Boogeyman’s fingers suddenly encased themselves in shadows, forming large, thick claws not unlike a tiger’s. North swore loudly – and colorfully – in Russian as those claws came down just past his head, and into the cage lock.

Stumbling back, the Guardians watched with wide eyes as Pitch snarled and tore into the thick lock, tearing it into scrap metal and shrapnel. Once it was torn away from the cage door, he grabbed the door and _tore it off its hinges,_ then threw it loudly into the back wall. 

“Whoa…” Jack muttered, wide eyed. Beside him, Sandy nodded and formed a 9.5 over his head. 

The others were too stunned to even stop the Boogeyman as he ducked down into the cage, and gently scooped Tooth into his arms. His claws still poised, he carefully yet swiftly broke the binds around Tooth’s wings, freeing the iridescent appendages. 

Pitch sighed shakily in utter relief as the fairy queen’s body settled in his arms, her form limp and feverish. Holding her tightly yet gently against his chest, he carefully brought her out of the cage. He stared down at Tooth, expression soft. He didn’t even notice as the others quickly crowded around them both, their attention fully taken up by their companion’s prone form.

“Aw damn, her shoulder…” Bunny grimaced, taking in the charred flesh along Tooth’s shoulder. 

Pitch cringed, having noticed as well – or more he realized she had been hurt when they entered the room. He could smell the burn of feathers and flesh when he first entered; he had only hoped it wasn’t from her though. It made him hold her all the tighter though, his scales rising in rage and possessiveness. 

He tensed though as she suddenly stirred, amethyst eyes fluttering open ever so slightly. Gaze not fully able to focus, she locked onto Pitch’s face with an expression of what to Pitch seemed like disbelief. 

“Pitch…?” she rasped, as if she were talking to a hallucination. 

"Yes, it's me." he said softly, "You misplaced the gift I so graciously gave you. That's quite rude." 

Unwinding the necklace from around his wrist, he made quick work of repairing the shadowy chain and placed it carefully around her neck. His lopsided, genuine smile was nearly blinding in the dark cavern to Tooth. She smiled weakly, eyes misting over in relief. 

“You came…” she said.

“Of course I did, you expect me to just sit by and let the Cossack and his lot play the hero?” Pitch scoffed, and Tooth felt herself laugh weakly. 

She no sooner sighs, exhausted, and settles into the Boogeyman’s arms. Her eyes shut once more, her face relaxing as she dropped back into unconsciousness. Frowning, Pitch shifting his arms so he could place a hand against her forehead, taking note of her fever.

“She’s been infected…” he said gravely. 

North curses, wasting no time in tearing a strip of fabric from his coat to bind Tooth's shoulder. The others look on in deep concern, Jack eventually breaking in.

“How was she infected?” he asked.

“Iron is not just like fire to fairies,” North started, carefully tying a knot in the makeshift binding, “If fairy is exposed to iron long enough, its essence to can the bloodstream and cause fever, fatigue, and even death.”

Jack’s eyes widened, and Pitch jumped in before he could cause a scene.

“Thankfully, she was only exposed enough for a minor infection, nothing fatal,” Pitch said, “Her wound would have been worse if she was fatally poisoned, so she should be safe. But we must get back to the Pole at once to have her treated.”

“Well how do we get out of here? You bolted off so fast, we haven’t had a chance to memorize where the exit is.” Bunny groused.

“You can’t just make a tunnel?” Jack asked. Bunny shook his head.

“No. Thought about it, but when we entered the tunnels, I noticed something off about them,” he said, “The apes put a ward around the tunnels, and they prevent me from making a tunnel.”

“So we are on our own…” North said thoughtfully. 

Pitch nodded, and bypassed the others to slither out the door, careful of the iron door still lying on the floor like forgotten trash. The others made no comment, and soon followed the Boogeyman out, starting up the tunnel they had come from. 

No one said anything the entire time they traversed the tunnels. Really, what could any of them say? The Guardians didn’t even feel they had the nerves to talk to one another, let alone Pitch himself. But all thoughts were loud and frazzled, buzzing in their heads like angry bees in a too tight hive – and all were focused on Tooth and why she was taken. At the moment, the Guardians and Pitch could only guess why the Monkey king had suddenly shown up and suddenly went after her again. Tooth herself was the only one who could possibly tell them, and she was unconscious in the Boogeyman’s arms right now. Speaking of…

Bunny averted his narrowed gaze to the Boogeyman’s tail, watching as it slithered in gentle arcs and swaying waves. What the absolute hell drove Pitch to changing his form to something like that? And why had no one asked? Well, they were all a bit distracted, what with Tooth missing, and Jack and Pitch dropping in on them without warning. So he supposed they had a bit of an excuse; though that still did not reduce the shock factor.

Hunter green eyes suddenly traveled upwards, locking onto Pitch’s lean back. Or at least, people would think he was looking at his back if they were watching. But Bunny’s gaze was locked onto the edge of Tooth’s head, just barely peeking out over the crook of Pitch’s arm. Her legs swayed limply on his other side, a sure sign of how deep her unconsciousness went. 

His nerves were on edge, and not just because they were in cramped tunnels with no way of escape. He was apprehensive of being in such close quarters with Pitch; who in turn had one of their own in his arms. He could easily use her as a shield or a means of blackmail. The thought made his pawns clench and his fur stand on end.

Pitch suddenly sighed, “Whoever is burning a hole in my back with their eyes, just take a picture already. It’ll last longer.”

Bunny hissed, “Well excuse me, not like it’s everyday our worst enemy suddenly decides he wants to be the animal he most represents.” 

Pitch scowled ahead, not even bothering to stop and look back at the Pooka.

“Od, because if you are a rabbit, I would think you had a more pleasant attitude,” he said, ‘Perhaps Frost is correct in assuming you are a kangaroo.”

Jack tripped over his own feet, stopping and cackling uncontrollably behind them. Bunny felt his cheeks flush red, his fists clenching as he hustled up to Pitch and turned on him, stopping the Boogeyman from moving any further down the tunnel. He jabbed a furry claw at Pitch, ears drawn back.

“Why don’t you say that to my face, you freak…” he growled. 

“Because I am not going to play this game with you, Bunnymund. We have more important things to do.” Pitch hissed back.

“Yeah right, I bet you’re just scared to face me head on.”

“Bunnymund, I could _eat_ you if I wanted to…”

That made Bunny veer back in apprehension, taking many quick steps back as he stared at Pitch in wide eyed horror. The other Guardians were even staring at Pitch, eyes wide and hands tight on their weapons. But of course, after a beat passed, Jack just had to make a comment.

“I don’t know Pitch, all that chocolate he eats? You don’t wanna ruin that girlish figure of yours do you?” he asked with a wide grin, “And I hear it is nearly impossible to get kangaroo fur out of your teeth.”

Slowly, Pitch’s head turned to look at Jack. The frost sprite was still grinning, but it was nervous and meek now. Pitch was deadpan, but his eyes were narrow and fiery. The end of his tail flickered as he regarded the frost sprite.

“And you, Frost, I could _sit_ on you and watch as the life is slowly crushed out of you.” He said, deadpan. 

Jack blinked, before slowly backing away and shuffling partly behind North, that cheeky grin still in place. Bunny snarled, turning back to Pitch to get another word in, but was stopped as North stepped forward between the two.

“That is enough,” he said firmly, “Bunny, do no egg him on. Pitch, we must focus on getting out of here, not fighting with Bunny.” 

He suddenly looked back at Pitch, eyes searching.

“Although, for our sakes, perhaps you can tell us why you are in such a form?” he said. 

“He has a fetish.” Jack blurted. The others just fixed him a look before looking back at Pitch, both parts curious yet cautious.

“…if you _must_ know,” Pitch started, teeth grinding, “Sumer is not my favorite season. My lair has many oasis and pools, and once the head reaches high levels, it evaporates and turns my home into a sauna. This form allows me to live and thrive through the season. Satisfied?”

The others blinked, as if not expecting the straightforward answer. Or rather, they _weren’t_ expecting that kind of answer. Pitch glared at them; what did they expect? What could he possibly do with his new form that was devious or dangerous to them or children? Granted he did threaten to eat Bunny, but it’s not like he actually could. Nor did he want to – Frost was somewhat right; he had a figure to uphold. And he doubted the rabbit’s fur would be all that appetizing. 

“…that’s _it?_ ” Jack asked, sounding outraged that Pitch wasn’t using the form for something more devious. 

“That’s _it_. No other reason than to survive the hot seasons.” Pitch confirmed.

“Well, why not just go somewhere else?” Jack asked.

“Yes, there are many cooler regions you could go to instead of staying in your lair.” North agreed, quirking a brow at Pitch.

And to their shock, the Boogeyman only laughed. It was a rueful laugh, not the least bit amused or mirthful. And once he calmed, he fixed the Guardians with a cold sneer, eyes dilated into thin, snake-like slits. 

“You think it is that easy?” he asked, “If I so much as sneeze, you lot would be on my ass before I could find a tissue. If I were to move or leave my lair, you all would suspect something, and of course leave the questions for later, and throw me back into my lair without a second thought.”

“ _That_ is why I choose to stay. Better to remain here I am under the illusion of being injured or dead, than making my presence known and give you all an excuse to break my neck. Again.” 

He suddenly turned so he was facing back down the tunnel again, and without another word started slithering back on track.

“You lot are only slowing me down…” he said, “Why I even considered asking for your help, I will never know…”

“Well why do you care!?” Bunny snapped, jumping back in front of Pitch, “Why do you suddenly care about her, huh? I can only imagine what kind of things you’d do to her if we weren’t around, you sick freak. You probably got her into this mess in the first place!”

“You have no reason to want to help her! You stole and imprisoned her fairies, stole the teeth, and nearly wiped her and us from existence! So where do you get off, huh? You tell me that, Pitch! You don’t care about her, so you tell me what it is you are really planning!”

It was like watching a cornered cat being barked at by a vicious, tied up dog. It didn’t matter that it was tied up, the cat was still cornered and the dog was close enough that one wrong move could mean its end. And Pitch just so happened to be the proverbial cat, his shoulders tense and his hackles up, eyes wide and mouth thinned into a straight line. 

Bunny only continued to glower at Pitch, his ears pinned back and eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. The Pooka waited for Pitch to say something, anything, to justify himself. But when long seconds turned into an even longer minute, he smirked at the Boogeyman.

“I knew it. You don’t care for her, you’re nothing but a lowly-”

“Bunnymund.” North growled, suddenly lumbering towards the Pooka. He fixed Bunny a glare that quickly silenced the grey rabbit, before he turned his gaze to Pitch. 

With steady and careful steps, he moved closer to the obviously frozen man. But once he noticed North coming closer, his scales shifted and his hold around Tooth tightened ever so slightly. Fangs peeked out from behind dark lips, but the Cossack did not relent. He stepped up to Pitch, nearly chest to chest with the man – or more chest to abdomen, Pitch was much taller than he was in this form. 

He looked down at Tooth and then back up at Pitch, his brows drawn and gaze scrutinizing. Then his eyes came to rest on the necklace around Pitch’s neck, the obsidian and gold gleaming in the low light. He did not miss that baby tooth inside of it either. He then looked down at the one Tooth wore – and he was not naïve to the fact that the pendant was eerily similar to the ones that made up Pitch’s tail. 

He finally locked eyes with Pitch, and somehow, much to the Boogeyman’s surprise, he almost looked understanding.

“You care about her, don’t you?” he asked. 

Pitch seemed to freeze up again, eyes wide and mouth tightening even further. His chest was openly rising and falling at a rapid pace, nostrils flaring as he tried – and failed – to control his breathing. The others watched on, almost fascinated with the Boogeyman’s reactions. 

Pitch opened and closed his mouth, before seeming to settle on what he should do.

“I…” he swallowed, “That is, I do not-”

He paused suddenly, as did the others, at the unmistakable sounds of monkey cries and shrieks in the distance. It was impossible to tell if it was just one or a dozen, and it was even more impossible to figure out where it was coming from. 

Everyone’s eyes narrowed as they looked up and down the tunnel, uncertain as to whether or not it was coming from one direction, or maybe even both. Not even Bunny, with his keen hearing, could pinpoint an exact location. The tunnels were perfect for echoes and for sound to bounce off the walls, and no one could fully confirm if it was coming from in front of them or behind them. 

Tooth suddenly stirred, catching everyone’s attention as she shifted in Pitch’s arms, eyes cracking openly blearily.

“Pitch…?” she rasped, voice dry and thin. Pitch nodded, cradling her close.

“Everything is fine, Toothiana,” he said softly, “We’ll be out of here very soon.”

Tooth hummed, settling back into his arms and shutting her eyes again. Her arms weakly came up to wrap around his neck, the side of her head pressed comfortably against his shoulder. Pitch swallowed dryly, resolutely making an effort to not look up and see the Guardians’ faces. 

“We have to go now.” He said instead, turning and starting back down the tunnel.

“How do you know they’re not that way?” Jack asked as he and the others jogged after Pitch.

“I don’t. But we can’t just stand around.” Pitch said simply. 

Though grudgingly, the others agreed and pressed on. And it seemed with the further they went, the quieter the sounds of monkeys became. Perhaps they had gotten a lucky break and were moving away from them after all.

_‘Don’t get your hopes up…’_ Pitch thought to himself, turning a corner and passing under an archway.

He skidded to a stop, the others nearly running into him as they too passed under what was apparently a doorway. Pitch’s eyes narrowed as he took in the giant, round chamber they found themselves in. It was like an underground dome, stone and hard dirt forming a nearly perfect half-sphere that arched over their heads. Chains of iron were hung from the walls and dripped from the ceiling, but nothing else seemed to be present in the chamber.

“So…” Jack stared in uncertainty, “Now what?”

“Perhaps we should turn back?” North suggested.

Pitch was about to agree, but all five jumped at the sound of double iron doors slamming closed. They turned to the door, finding the iron slabs closed tightly over their means of escape. A hissing sound was heard above them suddenly, the chains rattling slightly. They looked up.

And came face to face with an entire ceiling filled with monkey men.

And at the center of it all, was the Monkey King. 

To be continued…


	27. Chapter 27

It was like a scene out of a bad thriller movie. The beloved heroes, now trapped in a chamber filled with monstrous minions and their king. The apes cackled loudly, their shrill laughter echoing obnoxiously off the cavern walls. The Guardians and Pitch immediately backed themselves against the locked doors, weapons drawn and eyes focused on the largest ape above them.

The Monkey King sneered at them, dropping from the ceiling and landing with a ground shaking thump. He lumbered closer to the Guardians and Pitch, grin wide and fingers itching to grab at the chipped sword strapped to his belt. 

“Well, well, well, look who showed up!” He crowed, before sneering at the fairy in Pitch’s arms, “And you brought me my queen. How thoughtful.”

“Your WHAT!?” Bunny snapped, fur bristling.

Pitch hissed as well, scales rising against his tail. The Guardians snarled like animals at the ape, and North pointed a saber at the Monkey King.

“What do you want with Tooth?” he demanded, “And us for that matter. It is obvious you were expecting us.”   
The Monkey King threw his head back and laughed, his minions joining in until the entire cavern was filled with the nauseating thrum of laughing apes. It soon calmed to moderate chattering and hissing, the Monkey King himself only smirking at the Guardians.

“You haven’t figured it out yet?” he asked in mock-surprise, “That infernal fairy has been a thorn in my side for centuries. She refused to help me regain my humanity, and I was left to spend the last thousand years living like an animal!”

He suddenly hissed and stepped closer to the group, causing them to press further into the door.

“And just as I was plotting to kill her, I had a sudden thought!” he said gleefully, “Why kill such a rare beauty? A warrior no less, and a queen? All kings need a queen, and she was my perfect candidate.”

Horror and disgust washed over the Guardians’ and Pitch’s faces then as his words sank in. They snarled at the smirking ape, hackles rising and weapons nearly crushed in knuckle-white grips. 

“You sick _freak_ …” Bunny snarled.

“Oh come now Bunny, we’re so much alike you and I!” the Monkey King jeers.

“Like hell we are!” Enraged, Bunny throws his boomerang at the ape.

But he somehow misjudged the Monkey King’s speed and reflexes, catching the boomerang just before it could collide with his head. His smirk widened as he crushed the wooden weapon in his hairy hands, dropping the broken shards to the floor. 

“Ah-ah-ah, there’s no need for violence. How about we settle things with a trade? Your fairy…” the ape pauses, slowly reaching into one of the pouches at his side, and taking something out.

“For _this._ ”

The Guardians and Pitch gasped, Tooth awakening in his arms at the familiar energy nearby. She looked up, and her eyes widened in shock and terror at what he had.

Her Ruby Box.

“How did you-!?” 

"Your fairies were scrambling to find you, they didn't even notice one of my men sneaking into your room and taking it." The Monkey King said casually. 

Tooth, her breathing increasing from rage, just barely managed to haul herself upright in Pitch’s arms.

“Give it back!” she shouted. 

But the Monkey king only laughs and tucks the box away in its pouch again. Chuckling, he shook his head in a mocking imitation of dismay.

“Shame, all of this could have been avoided if you had simply agreed…” he sighed, before his expression hardened.

“Kill them – and get my queen back!” he roared. 

Roaring, the apes flooded in like a hoard of bats out of hell. 

The guardians charged at the oncoming wall of apes, weapons poised and swinging relentlessly at anyone that got in their way. Jack was already freezing and blasting monkey men on the spot, Sandy downing numerous apes with various sand weapons. Pitch hissed and threw his tail against a small group of apes as they charged at him, backing himself and Tooth further into a rocky outcrop.

Now mostly hidden from view, Pitch set down the slowly awakening fairy. Tooth groaned as she held her head, suddenly heavy like it was filled with lead.

“Pitch…?” she rasped, eyes trying to focus on the Boogeyman.

“Toothiana, I need you to stay here and stay hidden.” he said, looking around to make sure no one would see them.

“What? No! I can fight!” Tooth argued, suddenly a bit more energetic.

“Toothiana, you are _hurt_ , and if something were to happen to you-”

“Pitch.” 

The Boogeyman shut his mouth with an audible click, Tooth’s dainty hand cupping one of his cheeks. He seemed to freeze up like a deer in headlights. But the fairy queen only smiled, running a chum along a shark cheek bone. 

“You know I can’t just sit here and do nothing…” she said.

Pitch swallowed thickly, blinking owlishly. But her words seemed to reach some kind of point in his head, and he sighed in defeat. Perhaps it wasn’t so much her stubbornness, but more her damn pleading eyes. He sighed, turning to look back at the mess of a battle going on just a few yards from them. Many monkey men were unconscious or injured on the floor of the cavern, the Guardians yielding little to no damage. Weapons littered the floor as well, dropped or discarded by the apes during the fight.

Seeing a crude, slightly chipped sword a few feet away, Pitch used the end of his tail to collect it and bring it over to them. Grasping it by the handle, blade pointed down, he gave it to Tooth with a serious expression.

“If things get ugly, call out to me or the Guardians. Alright?” he said.

Tooth nodded, cheeks coloring at the serious, intense way Pitch was looking at her. Body tense, Pitch veered around just in time to knock away a snooping monkey, tossing one last look at Tooth over his shoulder before he dove into the throng. 

Tooth watched him go, eyes scanning the massive sea of apes. Pitch expected her to stay put at the very least, but he never said anything about her getting up to fight. And right now, she only had eyes for the Monkey king, standing off to the side and watching with a gnarly grin as the chaos unfolded. 

Snarling, Tooth pushed herself to her feet, wings shuddering, and charged past every ape in her way to reach the king. 

The battle progressed over the miniscule minutes, weapons clashing and animalistic shrieks ringing in their ears. Each of the Guardians and Pitch, fueled by their rage and disgust for the apes and their king, fought on like raging animals. Many monkeys didn’t stand a chance, either lying unconscious or frozen in place, weapons discarded or broken. Swords swung, whips snapped, boomerangs flew, and ice blasted everything in its path.

Off to the side, Tooth and the Monkey King were locked in a one on one duel, swords swinging, and sparks flying from clashing blades. Despite feeling weak, her wings even too sluggish to help her take flight, Tooth was relentless. Here, she was no longer just the Tooth Fairy – right now, she was the warrior queen of Punjam Hy Loo.

“Give up Toothiana, you cannot win!” The Monkey King jeered, blocking a swing of Tooth’s sword, “Make this easier for both of us and surrender!”

“Never!’ Tooth snapped, swinging in a wide arch, but was once more blocked. The ape laughed.

“Look at you. You’ve gone so soft over the centuries,” he cackled, shoving Tooth back a ways, “I thought you would have gotten stronger, but it seems I was wrong. You’ve lost your spark. And you’ve fallen even further thanks to that snake!”

At the mention of Pitch, Tooth felt her cheeks burn and her feathers bristle in rage. Shrieking, she swung in a series of parries and swift jabs – all meeting no success in their marks. If anything, the Monkey King was coming closer and closer to taking her head off with each try. Tooth was almost mortified to note how much experience she had lost in her centuries of tooth collecting over sword practice. But with the Monkey King, he had nothing but time and rage to fuel his desire to capture her. 

Another swing, and the ape locked his sword with hers, looming over her with his manic grin.

“I’m disappointed Toothiana,” he growled, “Are you truly so desperate that you would fall for such a pathetic man? He can give you nothing but misery and nightmares! But I, I can give you the world!”

Tooth gasped as he swung his sword against hers, giving it enough of a grip to pull back and throw it out of her hand. Teeth bared, the fairy queen did not relent, throwing a punch at the ape’s face. But her dainty fist was caught in a large, hairy hand that nearly crushed her thin fingers.

“Give in to me my dear, to a real man with true power.” He hissed.

Snarling, Tooth yanked her hand back, “You’re no _man_ , you’re a filthy animal, and you will never be as much a man as Pitch!”

Snarling, eyes manic, the Monkey King shriek and backhanded Tooth, knocking her to the floor with a startled yelp. Hand at her reddened cheek, Tooth gasped as the ape king loomed over her, mouth foaming and fur bristling in hatred. Just as she was about to make a break for it, the Monkey King stopped her by planting a foot on her abdomen, trapping her against the floor. 

“An animal you say? I’ll show you how much of an animal I can be…” snarling, he raised his sword, as if getting ready to cut her head off.

Panting, Tooth scratched at the ape’s foot, but to no avail. Eyes wide, Tooth took a deep breath, and was about to scream Pitch’s name. But she had no need to.

Just as the Monkey king was about to plunge his blade into her head, a massive, scaly tail suddenly shot out and knocked the ape off of the fairy queen, the sharp scales leaving cuts and lacerations on the Monkey King’s body. 

“Are you alright?’ Pitch asked, helping Tooth up.

“I’m fine, I – LOOK OUT!” Tooth tackled Pitch back as the Monkey King recovered and pounced for them.

He barely missed them, Pitch’s tail writhing as he tried to regain himself from the sudden loss of balance. Gripping Tooth tightly to his chest, he hissed dangerous at the Monkey King. The ape shrieked right back at him, various other monkeys coming to their king’s aid. Pitch swiftly knocked them away, setting Tooth aside. Though low in power, he was able to form a spear of shadows and charged at the Monkey king. 

Their weapons locked and they shoved away from one another. Pitch bore his fangs in a deadly snarl, pupils constricted. The two circled each other, Pitch’s tail moving like a side-winder. Both growling lowly like battling beasts, they charged at one another in a perfect display of deadly speed and accuracy. 

The Monkey King lungs once more in an attempt of surprise, but Pitch threw up his tail as a shield, catching the ape off guard. With a snap of his tail, he threw the Monkey King back and into a group of monkeys Jack had been fighting off. 

Roaring, the Monkey King pushed off of his injured minions, charging in a zig-zag pattern and quickly tackling Pitch in the side. The Boogeyman grunted as his torso hit the ground, various monkeys coming over to hold down his tail and try and penetrate his scales with various weapons, to no avail. Screeching madly, the Monkey King straddles Pitch’s waist and, using the handle of his sword, slams it into Pitch’s head. Pitch’s vision goes black briefly, and after a moment he feels a pain in his chest as the ape hits him again, breaking a rib.

Pitch could vaguely hear Tooth screaming his name, and was surprised to realize that pained yelling he was hearing was coming from him. He can see shapes and oddly placed colors dancing over his vision, but he was unable to fully recognize just what – or who – they were. 

One last blow to his sternum has Pitch choking, a small spurt of blood erupting from his mouth. He fell limp to the floor, groaning in pain and delirium. Satisfied, the Monkey King left the Boogeyman where he was, but was no sooner intercepted by North, the two locking in a duel. 

His ears ringing, chest and head pained, Pitch could barely distinguish Tooth’s voice just hovering over him. Small, warm hands gently cupped the back of his head and neck, bringing him to rest against the soft curve of her breast. He mumbled incoherently, Tooth saying something he could not make out to him. 

Pitch grit his teeth, his head spinning. All around him, he could feel the miniscule fears and anxieties of the apes and the Guardians. But none of them, even all together, were strong enough to heal or power him up. He was running on his last reserves of strength, and energy he simply he did not have to spare. 

But more importantly, he could feel Tooth’s fear. Not of the apes, the Monkey King, or the other’s safety. But fear for _him_. For _his_ safety, for _his_ health, for _his life._

 _‘Toothiana…’_ Pitch clenched his fists, forcing his eyes open.

The colors of Tooth’s feathers nearly floored him, nausea dropping into his gut. But he pushed on, forcing himself upright, despite Tooth’s protests. 

“Damn it…!’ he rasped, clutching his head.

“Pitch, stop! You need to lay back down, you’re really hurt and-”

“Have to…” Pitch swallowed, tasting blood in his mouth, “Tooth, I need you to listen to me…”

“O-okay, what? What is it?” she asked, worried.

Looking around, Pitch mentally counted off how many apes were left to deal with. A good majority of them were already out of the game, the Guardians having dispatched half of the army. If he had to guess, he would say about one hundred apes were left to take down, including their king. 

And as much as he did not want to resort to it, he knew he had no choice. And whether or not the Guardians would give a damn if he was only hurt further, well, he didn’t care about that. He only cared about getting Tooth out of there.

“I need you to get the others,” he rasped, “Bring them towards me, get them within ten feet of me, and then I want you and the Guardians to brace yourselves.”

“What? Pitch, I don’t-”

“Hurry! Tooth, just…” he swallowed, locking eyes with her, “Just…trust me. Okay?”

Tooth bit her lip, but no sooner nodded. With a bit of urging, Pitch got Tooth to leave his side and go after the Guardians, picking up another sword on her way to cut down any apes that got in her way. Pitch panted, forcing himself upright, his coils sluggish. But even still, that ball of energy in his belly, pressing down into his pelvis like a heavy ball of fire. It was his last reserve, and one miscalculation could mean the end of things for him and the Guardians. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tooth rounding up the Guardians and leading them to him. How she convinced them to come within ten feet of him, he would never know. Maybe she threatened them – or at least Bunny. He wasn’t sure. 

But the apes were following them, closing in on them until they were all nearly pressed into one another in the center of the cavern. Pitch counted down the seconds, bringing that ball of energy up into his chest, down his arms, and into his hands. The veins in his hands bulged and pulsed, his fingers forming claws and creeping, vine-like marks of shadows. A chill suddenly came over him as his energy was compressed into two explosive balls, his body blanching as his blood seemed to stop flowing for a scant second.

Gasping for breath, Pitch held his arms aloft…

“Get down!” he shouted breathlessly.

And he unleashed a tidal wave of pure, untamed shadow energy. 

The Guardians startled as a wave of blackness washed over them, but nothing seemed to be touching them. Disembodied shrieks and screams nearly deafened them, their vision stupefied by the black abyss and the various, dead gold eyes swirling around them. Indistinguishable shapes flew around them as the shadows filled the entire chamber, and a sudden cracking sound reached their ears.

A sudden explosion, and the sound of shrieking monkeys and something heavy hitting the floor shook the ground. And just before the Guardians could panic…light.

Bright, golden light pierced the dark shadows, dispelling the inky essence into shadowy smoke. The Fearling and Nightmare essence dissolved into writhing piles of shadows, and the cavern finally cleared and lit up – the entire ceiling riddled with cracks and jagged crags that let in the gold light. 

And just past the large cracks, was the first floor of Tooth Palace – Tooth’s Mini-Fairies armed and staring down the gaping holes with angry scowls.

The Guardians looked around, stunned. Any and all monkeys that weren’t knocked out, crushed by the falling boulders from the ceiling, were lying on the floor with wide, prettified eyes; paralyzed by fear. And those who weren’t were easily spotted by the fairies. Led by Baby-Tooth – who had been sent back to Tooth Palace to warn the others – the Mini-Fairy gave a war cry and led the fairies down in a swirling vortex of iridescent feathers to attack the remaining monkeys. 

The Guardians themselves watched on in stunned awe, looking to one another. They soon realize the blast of energy had unknowingly pushed them far away from one another, scattered among the boulders and monkey men. 

Tooth breathed out shakily, swallowing thickly with wide eyes as she carefully pushed herself up from the floor. A groan caught her attention, and she turned around in time to see Pitch – his tail now a pair of gangly legs – swaying in place. His skin was deathly pale, his hands looking like they had been burnt. 

“Pitch?” She rasped, disbelieving.

Pitch, eyes bleary, looked up at Tooth for but a moment. But his eyes soon rolled into his head, and he collapsed to the ground. 

Not too far from her, a boulder suddenly moves and it shoved off, the Monkey King rising from the dust, none the worse for wear. Snarling, he caught Tooth running towards Pitch, and a sudden, white hot rage dropped into his gut. Suddenly he could see nothing but red, the knowledge of knowing his entire army was now gone, his reign for power destroyed, he suddenly knew what he wanted to do.

Roaring like the animal he was, the Monkey king got to his feet and charged at Tooth, grabbing at Pitch’s discarded spear as he charged with the intent of impaling the fairy queen.

Too gasped and stopped, backing into a wall in terror. She had no weapons, and the Guardians were too far away to help her. She shut her eyes, vaguely hearing the Guardians screaming her name, and waited for the impact to come. 

The sound of flesh being impaled reached her ears, and liquid warmth blooded on her chest and stomach.

But there was no pain.

‘What…?’ Slowly, Tooth opened her eyes. 

Her face pales as she gasps thinly at what she sees.

At first, she is confused to see Pitch’s face, his hands planted on either side of her head. His teeth are clenched together, eyes narrowed in a strained grimace. He is shaking, and Tooth watches in a confused sort of horror as a thick stream of blood slowly slides down from the corner of his mouth.

“Guh…!” he suddenly chokes, his arms shuddering as he strains against an unknown pain.

Tooth felt a pressure on her chest, and looked down. Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head at what she saw.

The tip of the spear was pressed against her pendent – saving her from injury. But Pitch was right in front of her, and the sword…

 _‘Oh god…!’_ she gasped, shaking.

The Monkey King, standing behind Pitch, had a look of utter shock on his face, the spear held in his hands and having run through Pitch. The Boogeyman, faster than anyone with so little energy, let alone the ability to walk, had somehow forced himself to his feet and threw himself in front of Tooth.

Breathing in through a tightly closed throat, Pitch suddenly turned to look at the Monkey King with wild eyes, one of his hands holding a dagger he had picked up. The ape had no time to seem surprised, as Pitch suddenly twisted, swiping the blade over the Monkey king’s throat. 

The Monkey king, expression disbelieving, choked and coughed, swaying on the spot as he staggered back. He opened his mouth in a silent shriek, but no sound escaped. Gasping, his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed onto his back. Lifeless. 

And not too far behind him, Pitch suddenly dropped the dagger, and collapsed onto his side, motionless. 

The Guardians, stunned beyond belief, could only stare at the Boogeyman, unable to move. The Mini-Fairies were in a similar state, little eyes wide and wings beating shakily as horror overtook them.

Tooth slid against the wall, falling to her knees, wide eyes locked onto Pitch’s motionless form. 

“Pitch…?” she rasps.

No answer.

“Pitch?” she tries again, reaching out to grasp at one of his hands. It was stone cold.

And it finally seems to sink into her mind just what had happened.

“PITCH!”

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> U MAD BRO? 8D


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, we are nearing the end here folks! Just tow more chapters, and Snakebite will be done. I am so happy/devastated...! QwQ  
> I won't make promises, but I think before this month's end, Snakebite will come to a close...and we may be looking into the possibility of a sequel. No promises though!
> 
> Please enjoy the update!

It was like Father Time himself was actively mocking them, slowing time itself down to a crawl around them. No sound was in the air. Not even the buzzing of the Mini-Fairy’s wings could be heard by any of them. Their own breathing was completely silenced to their deaf ears, their entire focus zeroed on the pale man lying at their companion’s feet. 

Tooth, eyes wide and mouth gaping in a scream that seemed caught in her throat, suddenly collapsed to her knees at Pitch’s side. Chest heaving, her hands shook as they hesitated in touching him, not knowing what to do. 

A sob escaped her, her hands lying shakily on the Boogeyman’s arm.

“Pitch…!” she rasped, unable to catch her breath, “Pitch, please…! Wake up!”

She shook him halfheartedly, as if not daring to hope and yet afraid of hurting him even more. No response was forthcoming from the Boogeyman. Tooth only felt her heart drop further into her gut as a single, thin stream of black blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth. 

He wasn’t moving.

It didn’t even look like he was _breathing._

Tooth’s vision swam, hot, fat tears cascading down her face as she stared at Pitch’s motionless body. The clear droplets fell onto the Boogeyman’s body, rolling down cold, pale skin. He lay undisturbed by the watery tears falling on his body, Tooth’s body shaking.

“Pitch…oh god, _Pitch!_ ” Her hands were suddenly moving over his body, trying to stem the bleeding in his chest.

It wasn’t working, her small, bare hands unable to stop the steady flow of black blood. She was too scared to tough the spear directly at its entrance and exit point, the blood nauseously warm and making her hands slip.

Panting, Tooth’s wide, frantic eyes flew up to look at her equally wide-eyed colleagues. Throat closing up, Tooth took a deep, strangled breath and yelled.

“Help him!” she rasped.

Almost immediately, everyone leapt into action. North was suddenly beside her, tearing a strip of fabric out of his coat. Pressing a pair of fingers to the side of his neck, he found Pitch’s pulse; it was weak and fleeting, dangerously so. He barked at Bunny to help hold the spear steady while he broke off the majority of its length on both ends. Using the torn fabric, he tied it around the remaining bits of the spear at Pitch’s front, pressing the knot into the wound. 

“Jack! Freeze spear in place!” he snapped.

Though hesitant, and looking quite nauseous, Jack did as he said as carefully as he could, freezing the spear at the exit and entrance areas to keep it steady. Once he was sure the Boogeyman would not be harmed any further by being jostled around, he picked him up bridal style and bellowed at Sandy to get them out of there. 

The Sandman formed a large platform of Dreamsand, the others scrambling onto it as he raised it up towards the destroyed ceiling, Mini-Fairies trailing after them in a large, iridescent swarm. Sunlight immediately hit them, and Pitch moaned and hissed in North’s arms.

“The sun…!” Tooth rasped.

Cursing, North quickly took off his coat and draped it over Pitch, blocking the sun’s rays. Sandy immediately steered the platform for the sleigh down by the mountainside, the Guardians quickly scrambling of and boarding the sleigh. North dug into a velvet red bag in the driver’s seat after setting Pitch in the back seat, producing a Snowglobe from it.

Barking their destination, he threw it against the mountain side, and snapped the reindeer into a quick gallop. They vanished into the portal, leaving behind a hoard of confused and frightened Mini-Fairies.

After that…Tooth honestly could not remember much of what happened after they virtually crash-landed into the Workshop. 

She could recall in vague, surreal detail how North had yelled something to Phil in Russian, his large arms picking the Boogeyman up easily as he rushed for the infirmary. She and the others had followed him as he settled the Boogeyman on his side in a cot, but no sooner turned on them and yelled for them to leave, all while snapping orders to the various medical Yeti in the infirmary. 

Tooth could remember protesting, begging North to let her stay with him. But someone – Bunny she guessed – had to almost drag her out kicking and screaming. The Pooka had pushed everyone out of North’s way, a Yeti slamming the door closed behind them and locking it.

After that, Tooth could not remember much – or how she ended up in the lounge just outside the infirmary. Night had long since fallen over them, an unknown amount of hours having passed since North whisked Pitch away to the infirmary. Everyone was silent, yet they vibrated with shock, confusion, and anxiety. A Yeti had brought them some drinks, but no one had the heart to so much as touch them. Even Sandy was refusing to touch his eggnog. 

Everyone was worried and confused, trying to get some word out of the distraught Tooth Fairy. Was she okay? Was she hurt? Why had Pitch done that? But the fairy queen wasn’t talking, refusing to take her eyes off the infirmary door. Her mind was racing, yet it was like she was watching a slide show going at full speed behind her eyes. She kept seeing Pitch leaping out in front of her, weak legs propelling him forward before he was impaled by the Monkey King. 

She could see his wide, sulfuric eyes, pained yet determined. He seemed shocked at first, but no sooner his eyes burned with rage, and he spun to end the Monkey King’s miserable life. And then she could see him slipping away, right in front of her, and she could do nothing.

A tear slid down her cheek, and she quickly reached up to wipe it away from her irritated, puffy eyes. 

“You okay, Tooth?” Jack asked – though he did it more to get some word out of her. He knew she was not feeling alright.

She sighed shakily, “Yeah…no…” she said uncertainly. 

Sandy gestured to her shoulder, expression concerned. Tooth reached out to touch her bandaged shoulder – a nurse Yeti had come by and tended to her, applying a plant-based salve to the wound that would absorb the iron in her blood. So far, it seemed to be working – her fever had gone down, and she didn’t feel sick or pained anymore. 

“Everything’s gonna be fine now, Tooth,” Bunny said, “That monstrous ape is gone now.”

“But at what price?” Tooth rasped. Bunny frowned, Sandy stopping him from answering.

The fallen star formed various images over his head, Tooth blearily following them with an even blearier mind. But in the end she could only smile weakly at Sandy who offered her his own wide, gap-toothed grin.

 _He’s going to be fine,_ he was saying, _It’s Pitch after all! We could never get rid of him, what chance does that monkey have of doing it?_

Tooth let out a breathless chuckle, reaching up to touch her pendent. It had oddly escaped being bloodied by the end of the spear, avoiding any and all scratches or damage entirely. It made her wonder just what it was made of. 

_‘It’s going to be okay,’_ she thought, _‘You’ll ask him what it’s made of, and he’ll probably smirk and say something like, wouldn’t you like to know, or something…’_

And as if reading her mind, the door to infirmary opened and admitted a very tired North, the sleeves of his shirt rolled up and a black stained towel scrubbing at his hands. Tooth and the others sprung to their feet, the fairy queen rushing over to North in desperation.

“Is he okay?” she asked, almost afraid to know. 

North sighed, shuffling over to an armchair. He slumped down heavily into it, folding up the small towel and tucking it into his pocket.

“He is fine now,” he said, “But very, very weak. The spear just barely missed his heart. He is lucky it was made from his own element, otherwise the damage would have been much, much worse.”

“But he’s okay now?” Jack asked. North nodded.

“For now. It is best we keep watch over him,” he said gravely, “He is in deep, deep sleep right now. He had a cracked rib, but it shall heal in time. As for his legs, they are very emaciated…”

“Emaciated?” Bunny asked with a raised brow. 

“I suspect it was because he was in an unnatural form that did not use them the entire summer.” North said with a shrug. 

The others fell silent suddenly, as if unsure of what to say or do. But it did not last long, and Tooth soon spoke up meekly yet in determination. 

“Can I see him…?” she asked. 

North seemed to think for a moment. But after a beat, he nodded.

“You may,” he said, “But he will not likely wake up. Not for some time.”

Tooth nodded, flitting past the others and into the infirmary. The large room was overall empty aside from a single Yeti picking up used tools and dirtied rags. She valiantly ignored the bloodstained rags and tools, nausea dropping into the pit of her gut. Off to the left side of the room was the recovery room, and after a confirming nod from the Yeti, she quietly shuffled for its closed door. She hesitated, hand resting on the flat metal handle. A part of her was too scared to see what was on the other side – every horror she had seen in hospitals was crowding her mind like a hoard of angry bees. IV needles in arms, tubes down throats and noses, monitors hooked up to watch an unsteady heart and shaky breath, bandages wrapped around blood-stained wounds…

Tooth’s eyes blurred with tears that refused to fall. She was almost amazed she could still even cry! She felt dried and drained out, her heart a heavy stone weight behind her ribs. Her stomach was in knots, the once pleasant butterflies that used to flutter inside her now replaced with thorny spiders and sticky webs. 

And all of this, it could be made worse or better by the simple opening of a door…

Taking a deep, shaky breath. Tooth pushed the door open and looked inside.

She sighed in absolute _relief._

The room didn’t even look like a typical hospital room – it was warm, the floors not the sterile white tiles, but polished wood. Warm, cozy colors engulfed the room, a few modest Christmas decorations scattered tastefully throughout. A large fire was roaring in the fireplace in the back of the room, warming the room to a balmy, comforting temperature. The beds were not the typical white, plastic framed, wheeled beds. They were wooden, like beds straight out of a homey cabin in the woods. The only thing in the rom that was white were the snow themed decorations and the white frosting of the cookies left by a single bedside. 

The far wall was lined with five beds, each one divided by warm red curtains. But only one of them was occupied.

There were no tubes or machines or needles. There was, however, a single fluid IV stuck in the crook of the Boogeyman’s right elbow, and a couple heavy, warm blankets draped over his thin form. He looked so out of place in the warm, Christmasy room, his pale form nearly clashing with the various colors and décor. 

Breath catching, Tooth quietly closed the door behind her and tip-toed to the bedside, a chair having been placed by it. Tooth silently thanked North for his consideration, and took her seat at the Boogeyman’s side. 

Looking down at him, Tooth could feel the lead weight in her chest and the sickness in her gut receding. The shake in her hands now gone, she reached out and touched a pale cheek.

 _‘He looks so peaceful…’_ she thought.

He truly looked like he was in a deep, undisturbed sleep. The frown lines that usually ruled his face were gone, leaving behind smooth skin and unblemished lines and angles. Her fingers gently ran over the hollow of his cheek, coming up to brush a thumb over a prominent cheek bone. His brows creased suddenly, and she moved her hand up to smooth away the lines distorting his brow. 

No sound outside his soft, steady breathing escaped him. He was so quiet, like a sleeping ghost. Tooth almost didn’t want to blink, afraid that any small second of absence from her would prompt him into spontaneously vanishing. 

Tooth swallowed, her throat suddenly closing up on her again as her eyes wandered down to the Boogeyman’s covered chest. She hesitated for a good two minutes before she carefully grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it down to Pitch’s waist. She inhaled sharply.

The entire expanse of Pitch’s chest was bound firmly in gauze. There was a barely noticeable, dark stain in the center, a few faint bruises marring the skin on his belly and arms. But other than those small injuries and his bound chest, Pitch did not look much different than his usual self. He was paler of course, but he hadn’t changed much despite his power drain.

Tooth sighed, pulling the blanket back up his chest. Tucking it in around him, she sat back down in her chair and just watched him. 

“Tooth?”

The fairy queen startled, veering around to see the other Guardians standing just at the foot of the bed. She hadn’t even heard them come in. 

It was North who had called her name, the Russian’s expression concerned.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Tooth nodded, turning back to look at Pitch. The others did as well, simply watching the Boogeyman as he breathed. It was so odd, whenever any of them were this close to Pitch, he was usually trying to kill them. It was like watching a sleeping bear; surreal. 

They had never once seen the Boogeyman look so…frail. Pitch had always been such a willful, powerful creature. It seemed like he could bounce back from anything. Nothing short of the end of the world could take him down. And yet a spear through the chest had put him in this state…

“It’s so weird seeing him like this,” Jack said quietly, as if afraid to raise his voice, “I’ve always thought he was this powerful, unbeatable guy.”

“I thought that once, too,” Tooth said softly, brushing a stray lock of hair off Pitch’s forehead, “But he’s not. If anything, he’s just incredibly stubborn.” She chuckled.

The others nodded, saying nothing for a long while. 

“…what exactly were you thinking when you had him at your palace?” Bunny asked.

Tooth sighed, “I don’t know. I guess I wasn’t thinking. And it’s not like he could just up and leave. He had no power, and nowhere to go.”

“Still, he doesn’t seem like the greatest house guest…” the Pooka muttered.

Tooth scowled, turning to look at Bunny.

“For your information, he was a wonderful guest. Yeah, he was a bit of a jerk at first, but that was because I knew nothing about him,” she said heatedly, “After we got used to each other and started talking, I learned so much about him! He’s a good man; he’s sweet, kind, and honest…”

She paused, refusing to look at the wide-eyed Guardians. She reached out and picked up Pitch’s limp hand in her own, squeezing it gently. His hand was cold now, lacking that feverish warmth she loved so much. 

“He even befriended one of my fairies,” she said, “He even gave her a name! And many of my other fairies love him. Despite what he’s done in the past, he’s never once hurt them while he was with me.”

“Tooth, he nearly wiped out our very existence!” Bunny exclaimed.

“Because he was scared!” Tooth snapped, stunning the others, “He was terrified. We put him in a corner because we and Manny did not like what he was doing. And because of his own powers, powers he had no choice in having, he was punished! He virtually didn’t have any other choice than to attack us! If he wanted to survive!”

Bunny was staring at Tooth as if she had suddenly turned into something foul. Disbelief shone in his green eyes, his ears pinned back in open apprehension. The others were equally stunned, but did not appear as Tooth had slapped them. 

“He attacked us because he was scared to die,” Tooth hissed, “Who wouldn’t be scared of dying? His very survival depended on what he did, just like us. But we took all of that away from him, because we didn’t like what he was doing – what he was…”

She looked back down at Pitch, her expression softening. She gently stroked the back of his hand, twining her fingers with his own.

“And that wasn’t fair of us,” she said softly, “We came out of nowhere, and when we saw him, we assumed the worst…and we _hurt_ him. And when we thought he was dead…we didn’t even mourn! How could we just forget him so easily? He was only doing what he was born to do…and we punished him for it…”

No one said anything, too shocked to think of anything to say. But Tooth’s words did not go unnoticed. As much as they did not want to admit it, she was right to a degree. They weren’t sure if they could say Pitch was scared, but they could agree that he simply did not want to die; to fade away into nothingness. 

Bunny scowled, clenching his fists, “We offered him a Guardianship more than once…”

“And why would he accept it?” Tooth snapped, “Why would he want to be a part of something that he despises, and that hates him back? Would you want to be a part of that? To be around people who loathe you for what you are and what you do? All because you want to keep a leash on them?”

Bunny did not answer, but it was clear what it would have been. To all of them. And North could not help but feel a wave of guilt wash over him as he recalled all the times he offered Pitch a Guardianship, suggesting he ‘tone down’ what he did. He had asked Pitch to change, to adjust to what they did. He never once considered that Pitch probably couldn’t. It wasn’t fair of him to expect Pitch to change for them – what had the ever done for him? They took everything away from him. And he had expected Pitch to feel _honored_ by the proposition?

Tooth suddenly sighed, her wings limp against her back.

“I want to be alone with him…” she said quietly.

“Tooth, I don’t think that’s-”

“Go.” Tooth snapped before Bunny could finish.

The Pooka scowled, but a hand on his shoulder from North stopped him from saying or doing anything. The Russian gave a last look to Tooth before ushering the others out.

“We will give you time, Toothy,” he said, “Come get us if you need anything.”

He suddenly paused, reaching into his pants pocket.

“Ah, almost forgot. We had to take this off when we removed the spear…” he said, pulling his hand out and handing Pitch’s necklace to Tooth.

Blinking, Tooth stared at it in surprise as North ushered everyone out. The door closed behind them with a quiet click. And once they were gone, Tooth slumped, her hand clutching the pendent tightly. She sighed shakily, her chest tight as she looked at Pitch. She squeezed his hand, biting her lip.

She seemed to make up her mind about something, as she was suddenly out of her seat and crawling in beside Pitch, snuggling into his side and draping his arm over her waist. Gently, she laid her head on his shoulder, feeling a sense of relief as she listened to his steady heartbeat. Clutching both her pendent and his necklace, she snuggled down further against him, eyes watering.

“I’m so sorry, Pitch…” she rasped.

Sniffling, she tucked her head under his chin, shutting her eyes with a quiet sigh. She was asleep within minutes. 

And unknown to her, a wisp of Dreamsand had slipped under the door of the room, and now circled around her and Pitch’s heads. And image started to take form, slowly sculpting the sand.

The sand formed into the image of Tooth herself, dancing with a Naga man.

To be continued…


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, we're so close tot he end... QwQ  
> Just one last chapter, plus an epilogue if I get some nice feedback, and then I will have finished my very first long-term fic! HOLY CRAP!! *throws confetti and flails* 
> 
> Please enjoy and leave feedback! We might be getting a sequel to this as well, so I want to hear your thoughts on that as well! And to those who have a FF.net account, I have a poll going on that needs more votes! It will close when this story reaches its 30th chapter.

A week goes by, and still, Pitch continues to sleep. He doesn’t seem to show any signs of pain though, much to Tooth’s relief. She had hardly left the Boogeyman’s side during the entire week, not even to go back to her home. As of now, Baby-Tooth was taking care of the teeth collecting, with the occasional troupe of fairies coming by to check up on Tooth herself. In the meantime however, Tooth resolved to take care of Pitch in any way she could until he woke up.

She changes his bandages when they become too loose and bloody, keeps him cool and clean with a damp rag, massages his legs to get blood flow back into them, and does all she can to keep him comfortable. He was being fed through an IV, as he could not eat and Tooth insisted he get nutrients somehow. She even dressed his torso up in a black button up shirt she got from a seamstress Yeti – it was cold at the pole, even with the fire going in his room. It was kept open most of the time so they could keep eye on his bandages, one sleeve rolled up so it wouldn’t cover his IV. It seemed unnecessary, but Tooth felt better knowing he was taken care of.

Tooth once contemplated replacing Pitch’s leggings with something more comfortable. But her fussing was quickly stopped by North, who brought up that Pitch might not enjoy the fact that he was being dressed and undressed like a doll in his sleep. 

“He is prickly man,” he had said, “And he does not wear underwear.”

Well, that had been quite a bit of information, and Tooth had cast a curious, blushing look at Pitch’s prone form. She at first wanted to ask how North knew Pitch didn’t wear underwear, but remember he had performed surgery on Pitch. He probably figured it out rather quickly if he tried to remove them at first.

That didn’t stop Tooth from wondering and glancing at Pitch’s lower half every now and again…

The Guardians did their best to help and support Tooth, but she seemed to be completely ignoring them in favor of taking care of Pitch. It put them off a bit, especially Bunny, but they understood nonetheless. She was worried for Pitch, and she would put off her own health to ensure he would wake up soon.

Though they still worried for her. Tooth barely slept, and when she did, it was snuggled into Pitch’s side or in the armchair by his bedside. She didn’t sleep long either, often waking to the slightest noise, or if she thought Pitch had shifted or made a noise. 

Baby-Tooth and Vidya visited as much as they could while they ran Tooth Palace, but no changes were forthcoming. Vidya often brought her tiny books with her to read to Pitch – even though he could not understand her, awake or asleep. Perhaps she was more hoping her tiny squeaks and chirps would be enough to annoy Pitch awake so he could grouchily tell her to be quiet and let him sleep. Baby-Tooth once offered to peck him for Tooth to see if that would get a reaction out of him. Tooth had been deadpan when she told her to go back to Tooth palace and think about what she had said. 

And although Tooth spent most of her time at Pitch’s side, she was not often alone. North, Jack, and even Sandy mad the effort in visiting and keeping her company. Though she suspected they were just trying to make sure she continued to eat, sleep, and function. Bunny…well, he’d drop by and say hi, but then it would get awkwardly silent and he’d leave. 

“He’s just pouting cause he doesn’t have a pretty nurse to cater to him.” Jack had said teasingly. Tooth had scoffed and called Jack a goofball. 

The often brought her meals to her, though she often had to be encouraged to eat at least half of what she was given. It seemed her worry had stifled her appetite, much to their concern. She was losing more sleep too, her eyes becoming bleary and dark. It once came to a point where Sandy had to send her his Dreamsand if she wasn’t asleep at a certain time every night. At first she was upset by this, but later thanked Sandy after she started to feel a bit better after a good night’s sleep. 

And whenever the Guardians couldn’t keep her company, Tooth sought comfort in the scale pendent around her neck. Alone with herself and a comatose Pitch, she would polish the gold and black scale almost obsessively despite the fact that she had no real need to anymore. She supposed it just gave her something to focus on, a sense of calm one could only get from familiarity and consistency. 

And during the night of day eight, Tooth was busily polishing her scale again, until a familiar buzzing of wings invaded her hearing. Looking up, she saw Vidya slip through the open crack of the door, a tiny satchel slung over her shoulders. 

“Hey Vidya, what are you doing here so late?’ Tooth asked quietly, as if afraid her voice would disturb Pitch. 

Vidya shrugged, _“I was in the neighborhood. Though I’d stop by and see how you were doing.”_

Tooth felt her mouth curve upwards slightly, quirking a feathered brow at her Mini-Fairy. 

“In the neighborhood?” she repeated humorously, “What neighborhood is near North’s Workshop?”

Vidya grinned, giggling to herself.

 _“Okay, the whole being nearby thing was a fib,”_ she admitted, _“But I did come here to see you for a reason.”_

“To see Pitch?” Tooth guessed.

Vidya nodded. But then she paused and shook her head.

 _"I came because he asked me to a few days ago,"_ she said, _"Before all this happened."_

Tooth blinked, stunned at what Vidya had said. Pitch had…what? Told Vidya to go to Tooth for some reason or another a few days ago? Why? And how?

Tooth asked just as much, and Vidya only smiled and flitted closer to her queen. Settling on the bed’s edge, she reached into her satchel, and pulled out a baby tooth - the same baby tooth that Tooth had been looking for when she entered Pitch's lair. And Vidya had found it…

 _"He asked me to find it for him when things were getting cozy between you two."_ she said coyly.

Tooth was wide eyed, disbelief written all over her face. Slowly, she set the scale down on the bed and reached out to take the little tooth. Vidya deposited the enamel in her palm, and Tooth stared at it in awe. She gently pressed the tip of a finger against the tooth’s surface, checking for any signs of damage. It was undamaged, perfectly intact. And Pitch…

 _“He asked me to go look for it for him,”_ Vidya explained, _“He said that a rat likely had it in the lower parts of his lair, and it should be safe for me since his Nightmares are just piles of wet sand.”_

Tooth shook her head, “But how did you…the rat…?”

Vidya scoffed, crossing her arms, _“I may be a bookworm, but I know how to handle a dumb rat…that and I may have had some help from a snake. Ironic, no?”_

Again, Tooth could only shake her head. This was unprecedented. Pitch, stuck in Tooth Palace, virtually held there against his will, had asked Vidya to bring back the tooth that had started this whole thing. 

_“He wanted to give it to you…after he left. Maybe during a visit.”_ Vidya added. 

Visit…Pitch had wanted to visit her? To continue this thing between them? He wanted to give them a try…?

Tooth felt her cheeks heat up, her eyes watering as a smile broke out over her face. She clutched the tooth tightly in her hands, holding it to her chest.

“Thank you Vidya…” she said.

 _“Don’t thank me, thank Pitch when he wakes up,”_ Vidya said, _“And he WILL wake up.”_

Tooth smiled, nodding at her mini-Fairy. Her confidence in Pitch seemed to lift her spirits, somehow sealing her own certainty in the matter. And as she was about to ask Vidya how things at Tooth palace were going, she heard a tired sigh. 

She and Vidya froze, veering their heads over to look at Pitch. He was shifting under the blankets, his head lolling to one side as he moaned. His brows creased, and his eyes slowly and hesitantly opened. 

And then he woke up.

“Uhn…” he moaned, eyes bleary from sleep as he focused them on Tooth, “Toothiana…?” he rasped. 

At first Tooth could do nothing but stare. Vidya was staring as well, eyes wide behind her glass, of which she took off, breathed on, and cleared away before putting them back on. And once it became apparent that her glasses weren’t playing tricks on her, she grinned widely and chirped shrilly. 

Pitch cringed, reaching up to rub at his ear.

“Good god Vidya, must you be so loud?” he groused.

Tooth couldn’t help herself then.

With a loud, teary squeal, the fairy queen launched herself at the Boogeyman, arms locking tightly around his neck as they tumbled back into the bed. Pitch grunted with the force of the impact, but was unheard as Tooth sobbed loudly against his neck. Vidya squeaked and flitted out of the room faster than she’s ever flown before in her life. Pitch blinked, quite confused at the sudden turn of events.

“Toothiana…” he started uncertainly, “What is going on?”

Tooth sobbed, lifting her head up to look at Pitch with teary eyes and a wide smile.

“You…! You were asleep! Pitch, you…you got hurt protecting me. You…! I just…!” she broke down again, hiding her face back in Pitch’s neck as she squeezed him tight. 

Pitch grunted as his injured chest was compressed by not only Tooth’s weight, but her intense hug as well. He no sooner startled as the door to the infirmary burst open, the Guardians tumbling inside with wide, concerned eyes. Vidya flew in alongside them, her grin so wide, the Boogeyman half expected her head to split in two. 

“What is going on!?” North bellowed.

“What did he do, Tooth!?” Bunny snapped.

“Is he awake!?” Jack exclaimed. 

“Why the bloody hell is everyone yelling!?” Pitch snapped, startling everyone, including Tooth. 

Everyone blinks, dumbfounded. North suddenly cleared his throat and put away the saber he had grabbed, looking towards Tooth and Pitch.

“At, Toothy, please be getting off of Pitch now, is not good for his wounds.” He said.

“Huh? OH!” Tooth scrambled off of Pitch, smoothing her feathers down as he face burned ten shades of red, “I-I am so sorry! Did I hurt you? Are you in any pain? Do you feel nauseous or woozy? Do you need any-”

‘Toothiana! Please, calm down!” Pitch said, carefully sitting up. He hissed at the sight pull of his healing wound in his chest, but managed to prop himself up against the bed’s headboard. He sighed, rubbing his forehead. 

“Now, will someone please tell me what happened?” he asked in exasperation.

The others blinked, shocked. Tooth suddenly frowned and sat on the bed’s edge, touching Pitch’s arm gently.

“You don’t remember?” she asked softly.

“I…remember the Monkey King,” he started, “He was…he was going to kill you. I vaguely recall mentally screaming at myself to get up and do something. And then I was running…then there was pain…I don’t recall anything after that. Everything just goes black.” 

Slowly, the others nodded, Tooth relaxing at the information. She was actually quite grateful he didn’t remember being impaled. That would have been a terrible thing to remember. Though it was uncertain as to whether or not he would remember later down the line. 

He suddenly tensed beside her, turning to face her, “The Monkey King, what happened to him?”

“Wow, you are missing a lot, dude.” Jack chuckled. Pitch shot him a scowl, before turning back to Tooth.

She smiled, taking his hand, “You killed him, Pitch.”

He blinked, surprised, “I did…?”

“Indeed. When you were…stabbed…by him, you turned and slit his throat,” North said, “But after that, you collapsed.”

“You slept for eight days.” Jack added.

Pitch blinked again. A scowl suddenly took over his face, and he squeezed Tooth’s hand.

“I am getting quite fed up with falling unconscious for days on end…” he grumbled. Tooth giggled, hooking her arms around one of his own.

“I think this will be the last time.” She said. He smiled slightly, nodding.

“What else happened while I was out? Are the apes gone now?” he asked.

North nodded, “Bunny and I went back to palace to check out tunnels. Other than their bodies – which we got rid of – no monkey men were present. Those who survived likely fled, but are powerless without their king.”

“We also took down the wards preventing us from using some of our powers,” Jack said, “So now you have a creepy basement!” 

“We also took out and destroyed the all the iron we could find in the tunnels. Sad to say there was a lot, but now we got a ton of metal material.” Bunny added. 

Slowly, Pitch nodded as he processed all this new information. He was still quite baffled, if not apprehensive of the gaps in his memory. But that was nothing really new. And it seemed like he didn’t miss too much all things considered. At least nothing was attacking Tooth while he slept.

He looked to Tooth at his side, his large hand curling over her own again, “And you? Are you alright? Your shoulder…”

Tooth smiled and turned slightly so Pitch could see her shoulder. The bandages were gone, and not a single sign of the wound was visible. Her feathers had grown back incredibly fast, and there was no sign whatsoever of a wound ever being there.

“I’m much better now,” she said, “The gash healed days ago, and North made a tea that got the iron out of my systems. I’m perfectly fine now.”

Pitch seemed to relax suddenly, a tiny twitch of his lips confirming a miniscule smile. 

“I am glad,” he said, before looking back to the Guardians again, “And you are sure he’s gone?”

“Bunny and I handled the body ourselves. And Toothy requested that we burn it,” North said, “The Monkey King is now gone.”

“And I missed the bonfire?” Pitch said in sarcastic outrage. 

“Yeah, but we didn’t feel like roasting marshmallows over him. Kind of gross.” Jack said. Bunny socked him upside the head.

Pitch rolled his eyes, before he looked down at his bound chest. He gently touched the spot where the spear had pierced his body, feeling the tiniest twinge from the slight pressure. 

“I am surprised I was not killed…” he muttered. North nodded.

“You would have been had it come closer to your heart,” he said, “And if it were a normal spear. The Monkey King used the one you mad, so the damage, while dire, was not as bad as it could have been.”

Pitch nodded, accepting the information. He supposed he should could himself lucky. Yes, he was impaled, but at least it was by his own weapons…now that he thought about it, he resolutely decided he was, in fact, not a fortunate person. 

“Toothy took care of you while you were asleep,” North said, grinning widely, “She never left your side, we had to force her to eat and sleep sometimes.”

Pitch’s brows rose and he looked over at the blushing Tooth. She smiled meekly, shrugging her shoulders as he stared at her. Now that he looked, she looked a bit paler than she used to. There were slight shadows under her eyes, and she looked like she lost some weight. 

He suddenly sighed, pulling her into his side, surprising a squeak out of her.

"Honestly, I go to sleep for but a moment and you fall apart without me..." he said with a tired grin.

Tooth could only smile though, nestling into his side and hugging his arm against her chest.

She had never been more thankful to hear his sarcasm. 

To be continued…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's short, but ti was a necessary filler kind of thing I suppose. 8P  
> Anyways! Yay for nearly finishing! I am so excited yet so sad! I don't want this fic to end! I've had so much fun writing it, and my reviewers both here and on FF.net have been amazing. I love you all! *hugs all around*
> 
> ~S~


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH~!! Omg, we have only the epilogue left people! HOLY CRAP! *flails*  
> Thank you to all who have stuck with me through this! I could not be more happier with this fic! Love you all! <3

As it turned out, despite Pitch’s recovery, Tooth’s role as his personal nurse did not stop there. Seemingly overnight, she had gone from Tooth Fairy to mother hen in the span of eight hours. She virtually catered to Pitch’s every need as he rested and recovered. The Boogeyman, virtually bound to his bed by both Tooth’s insistence and North’s instruction, at first found the doting enduring. But after dealing with it for a week, he couldn’t take much more of it. He eventually got to a point where he threatened to break his ribs again if Tooth didn't calm down and for god’s sake, _NO_ , you are not helping me go to the bathroom!

She obliged, though looked like a kicked puppy in the process.

Though with that incident aside, he did appreciate her help. He asked her to tone it down a bit though, as it was becoming a bit degrading, and Jack kept making snide remarks about him being an invalid. At the very least, he appreciated her help in the light walking exorcises to get his legs back into working shape. 

Though much to Tooth’s surprise, this was a first for him. According to him, previous summers he spent as a Naga never led him to being nearly becoming an invalid.

“I would be weak and unsteady of course, but I always returned to normal within a week.” He had said with a shrug. 

Tooth pointed out that his near starvation, multiple sicknesses, and overall lack of activity may have contributed. She admits this guiltily, claiming she should have made more time for him. Pitch only scoffed, not so discreetly taking her hand in his. It could not be helped now, and besides, he was not a dog that needed to be walked every day.

Tooth only laughed, squeezing his hand. 

Over the next week or so, Pitch is kept on a rather consistent yet somewhat boring schedule. His days consisted of eating, sleeping, light walking, and resting. Pitch nearly threw a fit at this information, delivered by North himself. But in the end, after Tooth’s soothing words and promises that it would be over in no time, he relented. 

It started out rather simple – sitting on the edge of his bed and lifting his legs up one at a time with a light weight attached to his ankles. Those first few days had been surprisingly difficult for Pitch, his overestimating his strength leaving him exhausted and pained in mere minutes. After that was pacing the length of his room, Tooth having to hold him steady as he shuffled back and forth around the room. And soon after that, he could walk just fine on his own, if just a bit shakily and for short periods of time. 

Of course, with his growing physical strength, there came growth and rejuvenation in his powers as well. Though they were still very low, his energy was potent enough to conjure up his signature cloak – much to his delight. He’s missed the old thing. Still, Pitch was quite displeased to find that beyond shadowy clothing, he could not form anything sentient beyond a Nightmare mouse. Tooth called it cute. This only heightened Pitch’s desperation to regain some of his energy. 

“The only issue is the other Guardians…” He grumbled, arms held aloft as Tooth changed his bandages. 

“I’m sure it won’t be too bad,” Tooth said, looking over his wound. It was healing up rather quickly, much to her relief; it looked as if it would scar though, “I mean, North would understand at the very least, and if he can be convinced, the others will follow.”

“What of the obnoxious Pooka?” Pitch groused. 

Tooth scoffed, “Don’t let him get to you, Pitch. Bunny is just…Bunny.” She said, carefully tightening the new gauze around Pitch’s torso. 

“I do not like him…” 

“Just give him time, he’s a good guy. He’s just tense and shaken from the whole thing,” Tooth smiled, tying off the gauze, “All done.”

Pitch sighed, lowering his arms as he stood from the bed, “He is a paranoid imbecile.”

He picked up his cloak and shrugged it on, smoothing it down against his body. Tooth sighed, getting up from the bed as well. She came up behind Pitch and wrapped her arms around him, pressing into his back. She felt him tense slightly, before he relaxed after a moment. 

“You’re getting all copped up,” she said, “I bet North will let you move around a bit more, unless you want to do something else?”

Pitch shrugged, uncertain. He sighed and laid one of his larger hands over hers against his sternum. 

“I am honestly not sure,” he said, “I feel strange here, out of place. Like I am in a tomb…” 

Tooth frowned, her arms tightening around the Boogeyman’s lean figure. She honestly could not blame him though. To be in one of the Guardians’ homes, injured and weak, Pitch likely felt very vulnerable and defensive. Add in that at least one of them was still hostile towards him, Tooth was actually surprised he hadn’t tried to escape some way yet. 

“I’m sure everything will be fine,” she said, “I mean, they’re at least trying to get along with you.”

“All of them?” Pitch deadpanned.

“…well, everyone except Bunny.” Tooth admitted. 

And she was right. The Guardians – sans Bunny – were actually making an honest effort to get along with and approach Pitch. North seemed to be the most easy going with the whole situation, checking on Pitch’s ribs and wound when needed. The Russian acted as if none of what happened in the past had ever happened, babbling excessively about one thing or another; Pitch honestly could not recall what he had been talking about most of the time. Pitch just wished he would stop trying to get him to eat cookies and junk food. Apparently, to North, he was, quote, 

“You are too thin! And angry, always angry. Cookies make everything better!”

Unquote. Pitch wanted to put his head through a wall…North’s head, not his. But he was supposed he appreciated the effort. Sort of.

Sandy was much like North, but not nearly as pushy and chatty – much to Pitch’s relief. The Sandman mostly came by to see how he was doing, maybe ‘talk’ a little bit. Pitch seemed to have a very decent grasp on what Sandy was saying through his sand-speak, much to Tooth’s surprise. Maybe it was because their elements were so similar, yet so different. Or perhaps it was their history together – there seemed to be some kind of unspoken past between them that neither was willing to share.

Jack was…well, Jack. Like North, he seemed to be attempting to, ‘get that stick out of his ass.’ From trying to get Pitch to make a snowball – “Why the hell did you make snow in here!?” – to nearly poking his eye out with a candy cane – “Frost, I am not eating that disgusting thing!” – the Boogeyman’s patience for the sprite was waning. But Tooth could see that Pitch secretly enjoyed Jack’s company, if only because Jack was interesting to listen to when he got into a single subject. He once talked about pinecones for an hour, and for some god unknown reason, Pitch _listened._

As for Bunny…well, the Pooka wanted nothing to do with Pitch. The only time he ever entered the same room as Pitch was to check on Tooth or ask if she needed anything. But other than that, the most attention he got from the Pooka was a scowl or suspicious glare. 

Not that Pitch was craving Bunny’s attention. As far as he was concerned, Bunny was his favorite among his ‘visitors’. Well, next to Tooth at least. 

He sighed, “What do you suggest we do?” he asked.

Tooth shrugged, coming around to stand in front of Pitch. She took his larger hands into her own, looking up at the taller man curiously.

“Well, what do you usually do when you have free time to kill?” she asked. She suddenly held a hand up as Pitch opened his mouth, “Besides scare people.”

Pitch frowned, closing his mouth, “Not much it seems. I can’t afford to do nothing when I’m low on energy. Scaring people gets me by on a daily basis. I can’t not do what I was born to do.”

Tooth would admit, he had a point. But right now, in the presence of the other Guardians? She honestly wasn’t too sure how they would take Pitch’s need to scare people – particularly kids. Not that he had much choice in the matter either. Adults did not believe in the Boogeyman. It wasn’t like he could suddenly turn around and be an adults-only apparition. If he could, he would have done so centuries ago, and the Guardians would not care in the slightest. But the only people who could see him and provide him with energy were under the ages of ten and twelve if he was lucky. 

Tooth frowned, biting her lip. This wasn’t right; Pitch needed fear to survive. The only real way for him to get fear was to scare children. The Guardians did not like that – they did not like that Pitch had to cause a negative influence on kids to keep living. But on the other hand, Pitch didn’t exactly like how his very existence could be erased from a child’s mind with the giving of a simple dream, a gift, an egg, a snowball fight, or a coin. 

She recalled how easily Jamie and his friends just forgot about Pitch when Sandy came back. He had tried so hard to be something other than a ghost. Both he and Jack had worked for so long to be seen. But Pitch had worked harder, had worked longer. But because Jack could give children something they liked, he was the one who got the prize. All because what Jack gave to the world was ‘socially acceptable’. Because he was ‘good’. Because he was not like Pitch…

“There has to be something…” she muttered. Pitch sighed, clutching her hands loosely in his.

“There isn’t,” he said, “I’ve tried to find other ways of gaining energy. But fear is a rather one way street. The only alternative I have is to continue on as I am, or stop breathing…quite frankly, not breathing has often sounded appealing to me.”

“Pitch, don’t say that,” Tooth implored, looking up at him, “There has to be something, anything you can do that won’t get the others on the offensive.”

“Well what do you suggest?” Pitched sighed, “I am not lie you Guardians. I can’t just change who and what I am. Asking me to find an alternative is like asking you to forget about teeth and do something else.”

Tooth flushed, looking away. She wasn’t be fair, she realized. But like Pitch, neither she nor the others could change their ways. To expect otherwise was unfair and stupid. And the fact that she was so adamant at finding Pitch an alternative showed her just how much she still did not understand about Pitch. 

She felt him sigh, his arms coming up to wrap around her and pull her against his chest. She delicately placed her hands on his shoulders, resting her cheek against his sternum as his fingers carded into the feathers at her back.

“I cannot change, Toothiana,” he said, “And even if I could, I am not sure if I would want to.” 

Tooth nodded, understanding. But a part of her was a slightly hurt by his words. HE would not change, but what if it were for her? Would he ever change for her? But no, asking such a thing would be selfish, and she needed to support Pitch. Not forsake him. Never again would she abandon him to his own destruction. 

Pressing her forehead into his collar, Tooth gripped the velvety fabric of his cloak. 

“Maybe if I talk to North, I can somehow convince him to give you a break,” she said, “He has to understand to a degree that you can’t live not doing what you were meant to do.”

“And I truly wish I could believe that, Toothiana,” Pitch said, “But believe me, I have tried to get North and the others to listen before in the past. It never works. Because they do not understand what it is like to have to constantly choose between fight or flight.”

_“Fight or flight!”_

Tooth shuddered. Fight or flight indeed…

They both stood in silence, just holding one another and taking in the other’s presence. Tooth shuddered and sighed pleasantly as Pitch’s fingers dug under her feathers, stroking the skin underneath. She ran her hands up and down the soft lining of his cloak, her fingers shyly exploring the expanse of skin above his bandages. She traced his collar bone up to the side of his neck, eliciting a hitch of his breath. Tooth had found that Pitch’s neck was incredibly sensitive, and whenever she touched it, tendons would strain and rise against his skin, head tipping back as the arch of his jugular bobbed in his throat. 

She giggled at the odd purring sound that erupted from deep in his chest, her fingers tracing a tendon in his neck.

“You’re like a cat.” She laughed. 

“You hate cats…”

“And you’re the cat hater’s cat.”

Pitch scoffed, gently catching her by the wrist as her hand tried to creep to the nape of his neck – the most sensitive part of his neck. Looking down at her, he watched her cock her head curiously at him.

“But in all serious, Toothiana,” he said seriously, all humor gone, “I do not think this – us – can continue if we cannot find some common ground. I truly think that, if we do not find some way to resolve this or…”

“Don’t say it…” Tooth said.

Pitch sighed, “You know you cannot just ask me to change, Toothiana.”

The fairy queen nodded, resting her forehead back on his chest.

“I know…” she said, “And it’s not fair of me to ask that. I just don’t know what else to do.”

Pitch tightened his arms around her, frowning as he thought. No, none of them could change. Compromise was their only option at this point. They could no more change their ways than a tiger could change its stripes to spots. But how? To suggest a compromise was to put a level of trust into the other party – and Pitch would trust anyone else but the Guardians. Tooth he could trust. But it was the others he could not. Not yet anyways. And he was certain they didn’t trust him fully either. 

He sighed, jaw tightening, “One night…I would only need one night to do what I need to do and power up enough consider other options.”

“Just one night?” Tooth asked, surprised.

“Well, to give me enough power to last me perhaps a couple weeks,” Pitch said, “After that, I come back to where I am now.”

“And if you got a little back, you’d be okay? If you stay like this, will you…”

“Die? Not likely. I honestly am not sure what will happen,” Pitch said, “Likely I’ll just vanish from the human mind and become a ghost.” 

Tooth bit her lip, her hands curling to clutch at his cloak. She suddenly scowled and grabbed his hand, tugging him towards the door.

“Toothiana, what are you-”

“We’re going to talk to North.” Tooth said. Pitch sighed.

“Toothiana, I do not think this is a good diea-”

“No Pitch, I don’t care what it takes. If it means getting your powers back, then we’re doing it!” Tooth argued, turning into the Globe room.

“Oi…” both paused and turned, seeing Bunny in the lounge area with Jack, Sandy, and North. The Pooka was looking at them with a scowl, furry arms crossed.

“What’s this we’re hearing about Pitch regaining power?” he hissed.

Pitch scowled, “If it’s any consolation, it wasn’t my idea.”

“The hell it wasn’t! Tooth, what’s gotten into you? You can’t help this freak get his powers back!” Bunny snapped.

“Bunny, enough,” North growled, before Tooth could verbally attack the Pooka. He looked over at Tooth and Pitch, expression concerned, “Toothy, we understand you…care…about Pitch. But we must consider the consequences.”

“North, Pitch scaring kids has less consequence then him vanishing completely!” Tooth snapped.

“Tch, he’d be doing us a favor…” Bunny muttered.

North stepped between the Pooka and Tooth before the fairy queen could do anything to Bunny, large hands held up in a peaceful gesture.

“Bunny, enough! Tooth, I do not think we can just let things slide by now.”

“Well why not!?” Tooth snapped.

“Because we cannot risk him taking us out!” Bunny snapped, “We’re the Guardians, and we can’t let him have his way and scare the snot out of kids!”

Tooth scowled, “So just because he’s not one of us, you can’t let him continue to exist?”

“No, we can’t let him off because he does more harm than good!” Bunny snapped.

“He needs fear to LIVE! All humans need fear to live!”

“He needs to suck it up and deal with it!”

“Toothiana, forget it. I’ll figure something else out…” Pitch broke in, weary. 

“No! I am not giving up on you, Pitch!” Tooth snapped, turning to glare at the Guardians, “And if you all aren’t going to help then…then I don’t see the point in sticking around anymore!”

“Tooth!” North exclaimed, lumbering over to her, “Toothy, you cannot just renounce your Guardianship.”

“Toothiana, he’s right. You cannot do this for me! I’m not worth it!” Pitch protested.

“Damn straight you aren’t.”

“BUNNY!” Everyone snapped, quieting the Pooka.

North turned back to Tooth, “Toothy, please, just think for a moment. We were meant to fight Pitch, not help him scare children.”

“North, you know as well as I do that fear is necessary for humans!” Tooth snapped, “Why can’t you just admit it?”

She looked to Sandy at Jack, desperate, “We’re not being fair to him. Fear is everywhere, and is often needed to help children grow. I know don’t like the idea of kids growing up and forgetting us, but that’s LIFE. And Pitch is a very important part of it.” 

We depended on him as much as we do on the children. He brings fear so we can sooth those fears with our wonder, dreams, hopes, fun and memories. And if we let Pitch just vanish, we’re going to go down with him whether we like it or not!”

Bunny snarled, “And what would Manny think of you and your decisions, huh?”

With no hesitation whatsoever, Tooth said, "Manny's opinion does not matter to me regarding Pitch." 

The others gasped, stunned. Pitch was looking quite shocked himself, blinking dumbly before he shook his head and grabbed Tooth’s arm.

“Toothiana, stop, think about what you are doing!” he hissed, “You do not need to do this for me. So just take it back before you dig your hole any deeper!”

“No! Pitch, you know it’s true,” Tooth insisted, “Manny made a mistake, and the end result hurt you many times over, nearly killed you on a few occasions. Manny was wrong.”

Bunny snarled, brandishing his boomerang, “Sick freak, what did you do to her?”

“Bunny, stop! Tooth, please, reconsider what it is you are-”

North stops suddenly in surprise, a Moonbeam having shone through the skylight and stopping down between them and Tooth and Pitch. Everyone looked up towards the sky, tensing as they caught sight of the Moon shining high above them. The Moonbeam moved towards North, spreading out to cast everyone in its light.

A strange, humming like sound reverberated around the room, a sign of Manny’s speech being heard by someone. Everyone looked to North, who was gazing wide eyed at the Moon. He suddenly blinked and looked to Tooth and Pitch briefly. 

“Manny, are you sure?” he asked, sounding stunned, “He likely will not accept it…”

The Moon only flickers once, before the Moonbeam moved across the floor and over the Guardians’ mural. Slowly, mechanics clicked and shifted under the floor, splitting open and raising the moon stone. The others stared, shocked, as Manny raised the stone and shined his light into it. 

The light danced briefly, before it slowly took on a lanky, cloaked form.

Pitch’s image appeared over the crystal, nearly looming over them.

Manny was asking him to become a Guardian.

Speechless, the Guardians looked to Pitch, waiting with bated breath. The Boogeyman was stone faced, his eyes fiery and nearly blazing against the silvery blue light of the Moon. His fists clenched, and Tooth looked to him in concern.

“Pitch…?” she whispered, touching his arm.

Pitch said nothing, and instead strode forward to the edge of the platform they stood on, staring up at the Moon fully now. He stood tall and straight, somehow able to seem like he was looking down on the Moon. His mouth tightening, he finally spoke after a long, uncomfortable pause.

“No.” he said, ignoring the others’ gasps.

“I will not become a Guardian. I will not join forces with the people who harmed me for being me,” he continued steadily, his voice unwavering, “I refuse to work with them when I am clearly not wanted by them. I will NOT become your toy soldier, Manfred Lunanoff." 

Shocked was not a good word to describe everyone’s expressions. There simply was not a good word in existence to describe the absolute disbelief running through them all. But the shock did not last for Bunny, as suddenly he looked ready to mutilate Pitch on the spot. 

But then Pitch suddenly turns to Tooth, startling everyone with how abrupt his shift was.

"However…" he walks over to her steadily, eyes intense and focus solely on her. He took her hand in his own, gazing down at her.

"I would not object to becoming YOUR Guardian." He said, that lopsided smile of his stretching his dark lips. 

Tooth blinks dumbly. But after a moment, she sways on her feet, nearly swooning as she grins dumbly at the Boogeyman. And before she could react any further, Pitch suddenly grabbed her, tipped her back, and kissed her like she was the first, last, and only thing left in this world. The other Guardians gape, the Moon flickering, as if stunned. 

Tooth moaned into the kiss, grasping at the lapels of Pitch’s cloak, her toes curling as she kicked him back just as fervently. Her wings fluttered, the Boogeyman tightening his grasp around her waist and the nape of her neck.

And after a moment, they finally parted, Pitch bringing Tooth back onto her shaky feet. Pitch was grinning ear to ear, Tooth swooning and blushing madly while nearly limp in his arms.

"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that." He said breathily. 

The others only continued to gape, mouths hanging open in stunned shock. But the stunned silence is no sooner broken by Jack, who seems to give his approval with a loud wolf-whistle. Sandy follows suite, various sand hearts popping up over his head and a wide grin splitting his face. 

Bunny sputters, about to protest when North lays a hand on his shoulder.

“That is enough, Bunny,” he said, smiling slightly, “It Toothy and Pitch want to be together, we cannot stop them.” 

He suddenly glared at Pitch, catching the Boogeyman’s attention. 

“But if you do anything to hurt her, know this; there will be no place for you to hide, shadows be damned.” He growled. 

"Duly noted." Pitch drawls. Tooth suddenly touched his arm, catching his attention.

"I want to hear you say it." she said seriously, looking up at him imploringly.

Pitch blinks, confused, “Say it?”

“Yes. _Say it_.” Tooth emphasized. 

Pitch is stunned, suddenly put on the spot. His cheeks burned a dark purple, but once he mustered up the courage, he suddenly grabs Tooth and kisses her breathless once again. The other sputter in shock, while Tooth moans and giggles into the kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. 

He pulls back with that lopsided smirk of his, Tooth virtually hanging in his arms. And taking a deep breath, he says, 

"I love you."

To be continued…


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg, it's over. It's really over...! *SOB, WEEP, SOB, MISERY* Thank you to all who followed me through this fic! It's my first completed long-term fic! SQUEE~
> 
> Enjoy and I love you all! <3

Music was blasting through the vast structure that was North’s Workshop. Wines and sweet, sugary drinks were virtually flowing through the Globe Room, various Elves and Yeti scrambling to and from the kitchens. Gold eyes watched as the hairy creatures garbled and barked at one another, Elves scurrying underfoot like the nuisances they were. 

Pitch, ever the wallflower, stood off to one side of the vast room, nursing a glass of eggnog that had been shoved into his hands by an enthusiastic Sandman. He hadn’t really drank form it, only considering it with a small sip. But after the disgustingly thick and sweet drink touched his tongue, he immediately resolved to just swirling it in his hand and pretending to enjoy it whenever someone looked his way. Not that many were looking at him; and he was quite glad of this.

North’s annual Christmas parties always followed with a private after party with himself and the other Guardians. No one else was allowed to attend these private parties, so it had surprised Pitch when North had approached him with an invitation. He was still reeling from the fact that North had even invited him to the Christmas party itself – he nearly choked on his drink when the Russian had also invited him to the after party. 

And despite it being months since their fatal encounter with the Monkey King, Pitch supposed things were…not great, but better. It was still a bit tense and awkward between him and the other Guardians. Not that there was any lack of trying on either side – Pitch made the honest effort to get along with them, if only because Tooth asked him to. He got along with a couple more than the others, and he supposed this was a good thing.

He and Sandy had somehow down the line manage to a fairly stable acquaintanceship. It even came to a point where they were actively swapping ideas for more ‘strange’ dreams humans often get. Those dreams between nightmares and good dreams – more Sandy’s territory, but at least now Pitch knew why they came to be. Who knew lucid dreams were the result of Sandy getting into North’s stores of ‘special’ eggnog? 

And Jack…Pitch both wanted to snarl and smirk. Oh that brat knew how to play him like a damn harp. One minute he’s just having a rather one-sided conversation with Pitch (did that brat not know when to let others talk?), the next moment he was shoving snow down his jacket and laughing hysterically as Pitch chased him around, shrieking like a homicidal banshee. 

All in good fun, the sprite would say – despite any bloody noses or bruises, “That’s just how he shows affection!” he’d say jovially. 

Pitch supposed the sprite only pissed him off for attention. Damn frost-bitten, snowball throwing brat…

Things with North were also going fairly well – if you left out the fact that Pitch would actively avoid the Russian. Not because North was rude or mean, not at all. But he was so damn abrasive! Pitch was also scared for his life when North had once virtually cornered him and shoved a cookie down his throat. Then he was subjected to nearly having his sternum broken in half as Phil the Yeti tried to Heimlich said cookie out of his windpipe. Sad to say, Bunny was quite amused – until Pitch hacked up the cookie and nailed him right in the eye with it. 

Bunny…never let it be said that the Pooka could not hold a grudge. Pitch was both annoyed yet happy that Pooka was keeping a ten foot barrier between them. The less idiocy he was subjected to, the better. He could only imagine the antics Bunny would try to get him to if he actually liked Pitch. Maybe he would try to get him to paint some eggs or something. Hmm, he wondered how Bunny would react to a black painted egg…

Great, now he _wanted_ to paint one black just to see Bunny’s reaction.

Pitch sighed, swiftly setting his untouched eggnog on a tray being carried by a passing Elf. Blowing a strand of hair out of his face – he’d need to get it cut again soon – he leaned back into his little corner with his arms crossed. 

He watched as the Guardians laughed over something North had said, food and drinks scattered about the room on trays and plates. He so far hadn’t touched much of the food, not feeling up for North’s overly sweet and sugary confections. Tooth would probably get on his case about cavities anyways.

 _‘Why the hell am I ever here…?’_ he wondered. 

Oh right. North. Apparently the Russian had gotten tired with this strange distance between he and the Guardians. Ergo why he invited Pitch to the party and after party. Madness…

“We have yet to bury the axe my friend!” he had bellowed.

“Hatchet…” Pitch corrected the Russian. 

North blinked, “Why would you bury perfectly good hatchet?”

 _‘Well why would you bury an axe!?’_ Pitch wanted to snap, but instead ignored the Cossack. 

Raking a hand through his hair, Pitch adjusted the collar of his new cloak – or jacket it was more like. Apparently, since it was the season, gift giving was even extended to him.

Pitch smiled slightly, fingering the soft material. Tooth had seen fit to commission it from North, before she added vine-like gold embroidery to the collar, bottom edge, and sleeves. His necklace hung down from his neck against the criss-crossing lace that held the coat to his frame, similar to the plunging neckline of his old cloak. It closed slightly just below his ribs, before it opened again to expose his belly – it was supposed to close all the way, but Pitch couldn’t help himself. Nor was he opposed to Tooth’s wandering eyes. The drag was much shorter than his old cloak, making it easier to traverse the deeps now, and ended just at his knees. Knee high boots adorned his feet, Tooth finding it unacceptable for him to go without them during the winter – the same gold embroidery boasted along the tops and outer sides of the boots. 

He sighed again, watching through hooded eyes as Tooth scolded Vidya and baby-Tooth for pigging out on the punch bowl. The Mini-Fairies giggled before they flitted away from her, Vidya coming over to Pitch to perch on his shoulder. He grinned, raising a finger to poke her head.

“Causing trouble again?” he chuckled.

Vidya only gave an innocent look, _“What are you doing over here? The party’s over there.”_

“Exactly why I am over here.” Pitch responded –Tooth had managed to charm his necklace into a kind of translation devise for him, so now he could understand his fairy friend without her having to write what she was saying. 

Vidya rolled her eyes, placing her chin on her tiny fists, _“How are things under the palace?”_

Pitch smirked, withholding a chuckle. 

“Splendid.” He drawled.

He could recall as if it was yesterday, when his wound completely healed – leaving a scar a shade darker than his skin – Tooth had shyly approached him as he removed the bandages. And then proceeded to not so subtly ask him a very important question. 

“I-I mean, the caves are real nice, if you like that kind of thing,” she said uneasily, hands wringing, “And…well, it would take years to get rid of and fill them. And we just don’t have that kind of time. So…and you said you’d be my Guardians so…and we have the extra room now, so…”

Pitch listened tentatively, slowly slipping his cloak back on as he peered at Tooth from the corner of his eye. He was barely managing not to smirk in delight at Tooth’s fidgeting, but he held his tongue until she was finished. 

“-and your lair is still pretty hot and humid, and your Nightmares are probably still piles of sand – not that I think it’s a good thing! But it just seems that, well, I think you should, maybe, kind of, sort of…”

“Toothiana…” the fairy queen froze, Pitch smoothing the creases of his cloak as he turned to her.

“Are you asking me to move in with you?” he asked, smirking. 

Tooth flushed ten shades of red. Pitch only chuckled and approached the fairy queen, hands folded neatly behind his back. He loomed over her, taking her chin in one hand so she was forced to look up at him. 

“You, my songbird, are adorable.” He chuckled.

Tooth had nearly fainted, the new nickname he had come up for her nearly knocking the breath right out of her.

Vidya rolled her eyes at Pitch’s smug expression. How mature…

Though really, she was actually quite glad he had made a second home out of the tunnels and caverns left by the Monkey King. He had done a great job of reconstructing the caverns too.

When she first saw the Boogeyman’s secondary home, she had thought she had entered an underground city of Greece ruins. Pillars of dark grey stone stood proudly over oasis of dark water, gnarled, dark trees looming over any who passed. Waterfalls spat out from cracks and crevices in the walls, and fountains carved into snake heads added to the cool waters of the caverns. 

From the cracked ceiling hung more of Pitch’s cages – but the only thing inside of them were strange, dark plants only he could name growing out of them like ivy. Stalactites became free hanging platforms for more plants and eerie snake carvings. Small monuments and temple-like structures dominated the walls of the main cavern, all hosting ominous shadows and crawling with more plants. And in the center of the cavern was a large lake, surrounding a single island holding nothing but a large tree, and a well at its trunk. 

The well – a simple stone brick cylinder – was no ordinary well. It was a portal that lead to Pitch’s old lair, and to various other wells he had scattered about the world for his personal use. Pitch had found that having pre-build portals saved him much energy when it came to travel. The portals could only be used by him and those he allowed to use them – mainly, Mini-Fairies. They used the wells as shortcuts to different parts of the world, flitting to and from Tooth Palace in record time, much to Tooth’s delight. Tooth collecting had gone up 40% in only a month!

Though she did ask why Pitch chose wells of all things. He had only smirked and said,

“Have you ever seen the movie, The Ring?” he asked, “And truly, come spring and summer, can you imagine the terrifying legends of a black Naga rising from wells around the world? It’s genius!”

Tooth was never letting Pitch pick their movies again. Ever. And she was never letting Pitch and Vidya brainstorm ideas for frightening people again. _Ever._

Though this did not mean Pitch was the only inhabitant of the caverns. Many fairies had made little homes in the nooks and crannies of the ancient looking garden. Many of the stone buildings were used to house some odd items that had no home in Tooth Palace – Pitch was quite amused to find many Mini-Fairies collected animal teeth and other oddities, and he had been delighted to allow one Mini-Fairy that liked to collect animal bones the use of his caverns; he had named the fairy Bones.

Vidya sipped her drink from the tiny thimble she been offered by North. She and Pitch continued to watch the festivities, neither feeling like joining in. Too bad they had little to no say in the matter…

“Pitch!”

The named Boogeyman jumped, Vidya squeaking in surprise and spilling her drink on herself. Scowling, the puffy fairy glared and Pitch glared over at North as the Russian lumbered over to them, grin wide and positively radiating wonder. 

“What is it Nor-GAH!” the poor Boogeyman didn’t stand a chance.

Her perch now taken up by a bushy white beard, Vidya fled from the tight confines of the one armed bear hug North had Pitch in – or perhaps it was better described as a headlock. The Mini-Fairy winced in sympathy as Pitch was squeezed to the point of his back popping.

“North…!” He rasped, voice cracking as he tried to pull out of the too tight hug, “Can’t breathe…!”

North only laughed, releasing Pitch only to smack him harshly on the back. Pitch cringed; that was definitely going to bruise.

“Pitch my friend! Why the long face? You should be joyous today!” North bellowed. 

Pitch groaned, straightening his jacket and stretching his vertebrae, “And pray tell, _why_ should I be ‘joyous’ today?” he groused.

“Because! Today is simply a joyous day!”

“…again, why?”

North chuckled, Pitch cringing as the Russian laid a beefy hand on his narrow shoulder. North grinned ear to ear, gesturing to the other Guardians in the room. 

“What more is needed? We are all together, safe and peace between us now settled?” he said. Pitch frowned.

“I wouldn’t call a sealed contract peace…” he said uncertainly.

“Bah, skeptic,” North said, “We all may be under contract, but truly, do you not feel better about our situation now?”

Pitch’s jaw tightened. But he had to give it the Cossack, he was quite…content with the current places he and the Guardians now stood in. Honestly, if someone had waltzed up to him and said he and the Guardians would one day have a strong truce and he would one day somewhat work with them, he would have clocked the person in the mouth and then sicked his Nightmares on them. 

And really, who would have thought the price of peace between them would be at the cost of a piece of paper? 

Pitch sighed, shaking his head as he recalled just a few months ago – perhaps a week after his recovery – that North and the others had approached him with a proposition…

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

“…a contract.” Pitch deadpanned.

“Yes, a contract!” North bellowed across from him, “After some talking, Manny has agreed to…shall I say, allow you some leeway.”

Currently, he and the Guardians were seated in North’s main office around a large table. Although he was well and his wound had healed some days ago, North had insisted on keeping him at the Workshop for some unknown reason. He would have outright told North to piss off and left had it not been for Tooth. She did not say much, but said they were working on some way to smooth things out and make things easier for both sides. 

He supposed this was going to be a result of their long thought considerations…

“Which means?” Pitch asked, quirking a brow suspiciously at the others.

“It means that you can go on scaring kids and stuff, but only if you keep to just frightening them, and not trying to harm them.” Bunny broke in, obviously impatient and not at all liking the idea.

Pitch blinked, frowning, “You are saying I’d be signing a permit for you all to put a collar around my neck.”

“No, Pitch!” Tooth said, rolling her eyes, “We’d allow you to do what it is you are meant to do. The only condition is that you don’t try to destroy us and take over the earth.”

“Or scar kids for life.” Jack added.

“Frost, scarring is part of my criteria. I can’t just not scare kids into reconsidering doing something utterly stupid.” Pitch scowled.

“And that’s a good thing!” Tooth said, shooting Bunny a look before the Pooka could protest, “Look, there would be exceptions. You are more than welcome to scare kids into making better decisions, and to ward them away from danger. We’re only asking that you not try and hurt anyone.”

Pitch’s frown deepened, and he crossed his arms in thought. Don’t hurt anyone…but scaring was a form of harm; mental, sure, but still harm. He was seeing so many loopholes in this so called ‘contract’ of theirs, and he was not about to let them spring one on him if he was only doing what he was made to do. 

“And my Nightmares? What of them?” he inquired.

“They are allowed to do as they wish, provided they do not invade Sandy’s dreams,” North said, “They may cause bad dreams to those who have not been touched by Sandy’s sand.”

“Basically, it would be finders, keepers…” Pitch muttered.

“Essentially.” North shrugged.

“And my power?” Pitch glared, “If I were to reach a power level close to what I had in the Dark Ages, what will you do?”

“Like we’d allow you to reach that level…” Bunny snarled.

“Bunny,” North warned, before turning back to Pitch, “We won’t do anything – provided you do not abuse your powers. You may continue as you should, but must run any experiments and new ideas by us first.”

“And? Should the same not apply to you?” Pitch groused, “If I am to continue as I may, you lot are going to find ways to get around any new techniques I may develop. And I refuse to be kept on a short leash.”

“Is true, we would run any new ideas to combat fear and darkness by you.” North said, holding a hand up to Bunny before the Pooka could protest. 

Tooth rolled her eyes, laying a hand on Pitch’s arm to get his attention.

“We only want what’s best for everyone, not just ourselves,” she said, “This contract would not be a leash or a collar for you. If anything, it would be a flexible thing we can make adjustments to down the line. But for now, we only ask that you do what you were made to do, and only that.”

“We understand you can’t help being you and doing what you were meant to do. We don’t want to hurt you, Pitch. I – we – all care about you…”

Pitch bit his lip, looking at Tooth from the corner of his eyes before averting his gaze to the table’s edge. He crossed his arms over his chest, lips thinning in thought. The others waited patiently, recognizing that he was truly taking the situation apart piece by piece and examining every art of it. This was a good sign in their eyes; it meant Pitch was taking this seriously, and giving even more serious thought to the matter of forming a truce. 

“…if I were to go on doing what it is I am meant to do,” he started, catching their attention, “Who is to say you won’t show restraint and outright attack me?”

“We cannot guarantee we would not interfere…” North said levelly, “However, we will do our best to not jump to conclusions. You do not interfere with our work, we will do the same for you. It will just be a matter of…trial and error.”

Pitch frowned, posture tensing. That was probably the best he was going to get out of them at the moment. And if he were honest, he wasn’t too sure if he would be able to resist the temptation of tainting Sandy’s dreams or sabotaging one of them for a laugh or two. So he supposed they were on even ground, all things considered. 

“And should one of you attack me, and vice versa?” he inquired. 

The others looked at one another uncertainly, before they all turned to North. He sighed.

“Penalty for contract violation – minor violation – would result in a day or more confined to the offender’s home, depending on how large violation is.”

“Are you serious?” Pitch scoffed, “The punishment for either party is a ‘time out’?”

“I voted we tie you to a pole and flog you…” Bunny growled.

North shrugged, “Is best we could think of for minor violation. Plus, it keeps animosity between us at minimal.”

“And a high violation?” Pitch leaned back in his seat, “Say if I completely turn against you lot and try to subjugate you all?”

North didn’t hesitate, crossing his arms, “Then we tear up contract and fight you. We back to the way things were.”

“Though we doubt that’ll happen,” Jack broke in, “I mean, would you really go against someone like Tooth?”

The Boogeyman looked to the fairy queen, who smiled brightly at him. His cheeks colored slightly and he looked away. Damn, if he did decide to completely turn on them, he wouldn’t be able to fight against Tooth… 

“And the Tsar?” he asked.

“What of Manny?” North inquired.

“The Tsar is childish and naïve, should he see something I am doing he does not like, he’s going to order you lot to attack me,” Pitch said with a scowl, “My only real concern is whether you will put your blind loyalty to the Moon before our deal.”

“Contract was Manny’s idea!” North said.

“That doesn’t matter to me,” Pitch said firmly, “You all may or may not realize it, but you essentially work for someone who is a child at heart and mind. And children are fickle things, their minds never fully focused on one thing. And they are dreadful at keeping promises that don’t benefit to them. So I’ll ask again; where will your virtues lie?”

The Guardians paused, looking to one another uncertainly. They knew Pitch was going to pick at this like a woodpecker, but they never thought he would mentally pit them against their leader and their integrity. 

Tooth was unsurprisingly the first to break the silence, reaching over to twine hers and Pitch’s fingers together. She smiled up at the uncertain Boogeyman, squeezing his hand slightly. The look in her eyes, so full of compassion, understanding, _love_ – it told Pitch all he needed to know. She wasn’t going to leave him or let him get hurt. She would not leave him to his own demons this time.

And judging by the looks the Guardians were wearing, they knew this as well. It filled Pitch with a smug sense of accomplishment; having ‘turned’ a Guardian against the others in its own way. He had honestly thought he would turn Jack on them. But he wasn’t complaining. In the end, Tooth would choose him over the Guardians. 

North finally spoke after a pause, linking his hands together over the table.

“We will always be loyal to Manny,” he said, “However, our personal affairs have nothing to do with him.”

“I beg to differ…” Pitch muttered, earning a playful shove from Tooth.

“In any case, you, Pitch, are our business,” North continued, “Manny’s only involvement is agreeing to let us draw up this contract. Nothing more. And unless he somehow becomes involved, this is our affair, not his.”

Pitch crossed his arms again, giving each of the Guardians a searching look. He felt Tooth touch his arm absently, as if trying to comfort him and soothe his thoughts. Long seconds stretched into minutes, the Guardians becoming more and more uneasy by the minute. Pitch would be lying if he said he wasn’t milking it a bit for his benefit. But for now…

“…I can perhaps work with this,” he said, “However! I want a verbal and written agreement on this, and I want the same done for an agreement of you lot allowing me to use my power not just to survive, but to live.”

North nodded, grinning jovially, “Is deal! And we have already drawn up contracts. Phil!”

The mentioned Yeti entered the room from where he had apparently been waiting outside the door. In his large hands he held a large sheet of paper scrawled with elegant writing and boasting silver filigree borders. 

The Yeti set the paper on the table in front of North, bringing over an ink well and quill from the Russian’s desk. The Yeti then went over to what appeared to be a series of levers by the main window of North’s office. Pulling one, a skylight opened up above them, filling the room with silver moonlight. Moonbeams spilled over the large table, Pitch frowning and pressing back into his seat as if the Moonbeams were venomous snakes. Tooth took his hand again and squeezed it, smiling up at him as the beams settle.

North picked up the contract and the quill.

“Now! We all sign with Manny and Phil as our witnesses.” He said.

“Great, an overgrown hairball and a rock are my witnesses…” Pitch grumbled.

Bunny shot him a scowl, but North quickly placated the Pooka before he could retaliate. Silently, North signed his name at the bottom of the contract before passing it over to Sandy. One by one, the Guardians all signed their names before passing the contract on. Bunny had hesitated at first, but eventually did sign his name before passing it to Jack. The frost sprite scrawled his name before passing it to Tooth, who wrote her name in elegant cursive just under North’s. 

Pushing the paper over to Pitch, they all watched him as he accepted the quill. He regarded the contract levelly, eyes narrowed as he seemed to be reading over it word per word. When a full three minutes passed, Bunny groaned and threw his arms up. 

“Just sign it already!” he snapped.

Pitch rolled his eyes, but did not comment. North pushed the ink well over to Pitch, the quill having run dry. But Pitch ignored it. Instead, he took up the quill and, to the other’s surprise held his free palm upwards. With a swift flick of the wrist, and a gasp from the others, Pitch pricked his palm with the quill, his inky blood dripping from the quill tip. Once he had enough, he pulled it back and clenched his fist, signing his name in elegant cursive just beside Tooth’s name. The blood seemed to write before it settled and soaked into the paper, and he pushed all three items back to North. 

“Blood runs thicker than ink.” He said, barely paying any attention to their gaping looks. 

After a moment, North nodded and accepted the contract from Pitch. Rolling it up and tying it with a red ribbon, he pushed it to the center fo the table. Everyone watched as Moonbeams swirled around it, lifting the paper from the table before it vanished in a burst of silvery light. 

“Manny shall hold contract for us,” North said in response to Pitch’s questioning look, “Lowers risk of tampering.”

And as they say, that was that.

****

**

~x~x~x~x~x~x~

**

****

“…it is acceptable.” Pitch said after a pause in his memory.

“Acceptable? Hah! You are the one who got the girl in the end, I would say this was more than ‘acceptable’.” North chuckled, snatching a tankard from a passing Yeti.

Pitch shrugged, pushing North’s arm off his shoulders. 

“Perhaps, but it still makes me wonder why I am here at all.” Pitch said.

“What do you mean?” North asked, noisily chugging his drink by the smell of it, Pitch could only guess it was alcohol laden eggnog. 

He sighed, “North, I am not a Guardian – I probably will never be a Guardian. And yet here I am, at an after party exclusive to you lot, and I have no idea why.”

North looked at Pitch oddly, setting his tankard aside. He slapped a hand on Pitch’s shoulder, grinning widely.

“You may not be a Guardian, but that does not mean you are not family!” he bellowed. 

Pitch blinked, dumbfounded. North, seeming to sense Pitch’s confusion – or rather seeing it plain as day over the Boogeyman’s face – only chuckled and pat his shoulder. He leaned towards Pitch conspiringly, a strange twinkle in his eye.

“Tooth loves you, and you are family to her. That means you are part of our family as well!” he said.

“And that means you’re stuck with us Boogey-boy!” Jack suddenly broke in, startling Pitch. The sprite smirked at Pitch, his breath stinking of eggnog and cookies.

He winked at Pitch, teeth sparkling through his smirk, “You have nowhere to hide!”

He said it in such a foreboding manner, Pitch was almost impressed. In fact, ‘almost’ nothing, Pitch was impressed. 

Tooth was suddenly by his side, all attention now on the Boogeyman. Much to his dismay; he was trying to be discreet!

The fairy queen grinned at the Boogeyman, linking her arm around his own. 

“Come on Jack, leave him alone,” she said, “He’s not used to parties.” She punctuated her words by pinching Pitch’s cheek, and he gently swatted her hand away as she giggled. 

The others laughed, Bunny grunting something about wallflowers and buzz-kills. Pitch only rolled his eyes, sliding an arm around Tooth as he regarded the other Guardians.

“As much as I enjoy a party, I’m afraid I must wish you lot goodnight,” he said, before smirking, “Oh, and I’ll be taking this lovely lady with me.”

With a yelped, Tooth was suddenly pulled into a shadow with Pitch. They tumbled through the darkness, Pitch laughing hysterically in glee before they landed hard on their feet in the middle of Pitch’s secondary lair. Tooth, dizzy from the sudden transport, clung to Pitch as she swayed. The Boogeyman easily held her, muttering a chuckled apology. 

She shook her head, clearing it of the vertigo. She blinked, looking up at Pitch with a pout.

“That wasn’t funny…” she said.

“Are you kidding, that was hysterical!” Pitch chortled.

Tooth scoffed, smacking his arm playfully as she tried to squirm out of his arms. But he held her tight to his chest, grinning down at her.

“What?” she asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.

Pitch said nothing, instead lifted a hand and snapped his fingers. A small thud was heard suddenly, and no sooner after that, music.

Tooth blinked as the slow, steady melody echoed throughout the caverns, making it seem louder than it actually was. Confused, she looked back at Pitch. He only grinned and stepped back from her, bowing deeply before he held a hand out.

“May I have this dance?” he purred.

Tooth blinked, dumbfounded, But once his words sunk in, she grinned widely and laughed, taking his hand.

“You may.” She said.

Grin widening, Pitch pulled Tooth back to his chest, settling a hot palm on her hip, the other holding her hand out. A dainty hand rested on his shoulder then as Tooth kicked her wings into gear to be at a proper level with the tall Boogeyman. Waiting for a beat, they began to dance, swaying gentle to the beat of the music. 

For minutes, they simply swayed and spun, Tooth’s giggling only breaking through the melody every now and again. Pitch chuckled at her gasp when he suddenly stepped onto the black water, but he did not sink. Ripples expanded over the surface with each step he took, Tooth staring down at their feet in awe as they danced over the lake, his feet never once breaking the surface. 

“It’s rude to stare at one’s feet when dancing.” Pitch chortled. 

Tooth bit her lip, unable to fight the excited grin breaking her face. She squealed as he suddenly spun and tipped her, the tip of her crest nearly touching the pond surface. She laughed as he pulled her back up, spinning her round and round as he muttered the lyrics of the music.

Tooth sighed, laying her head against Pitch’s throat. The thrum of his voice traveling through his neck was soothing, rumbling like the purr of a cat. He tightened his arms around her, her wings flickering before stopping altogether, the only thing now holding her up being the Boogeyman himself. 

They weren’t even dancing anymore at this point, simply holding one another and swaying in lace, Pitch’s feet barely moving. He sighed against her crest, pulling back from her slightly to look down at her.

“Toothiana…” he said lowly, eyes hooded.

Tooth smiled, bringing a hand up to cup his cheek.

“I love you.”

** END. **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S.  
> Here's Pitch new jacket. My design, no stealing!  
> http://th03.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/f/2014/304/8/c/pitch_shirt_ref_by_sumi_sprite-d84toee.jpg

**Author's Note:**

> Well, let's hope this turns out somewhat decent...  
> Catch you next time!
> 
> ~S~


End file.
